Title of Invention

SYSTEM FOR COOLING ELECTRONIC MODULAR UNITS IN EQUIPMENT AND NETWORK CABINETS

Abstract System for cooling electronic modular units in equipment and network cabinets, particularly server cabinets, in an installation area, having a front supply of cooling air from the environment of the cabinet (2), with an air-to-liquid heat exchanger (7) and with fans (5), which are located in the vicinity of a rear of cabinet (2) for removing the heat loss produced by the electronic modular units and which suck the exhaust air (10) of the electronic modular units supplied with the heat loss out of cabinet (2) and, prior to delivery to the ambient air of cabinet (2), pass the same through the air-to-liquid heat exchanger (7) for cooling purposes, wherein the fans (5) are integrated into a door and a fan door (6) is formed, which in the closed position covers an access area (8) of the rear of cabinet (2) and that the air-to-liquid heat exchanger (7) is positioned longitudinally adjacent to the fan door (6) covering a residual area (9) of the rear of cabinet (2).
Full Text Field of Invention
The invention relates to a system for cooling electronic modular units in
equipment and network cabinets, particularly server cabinets, in an
installation area which has a simple design and stable construction and
ensures the necessary accessibility to the reception area and an extremely
efficient removal of the heat loss of the electronic modular units.
Background of the Invention and Prior Art
DE 195 15 121 C2 discloses a housing structure for electrical and/or electronic
equipment installable outdoors. The outdoor housing structure comprises an
inner cabinet and an outer cabinet spaced there from. A cooling air fan placed
in the bottom of the outer cabinet sucks a cooling air flow out of the
environment and into the outer cabinet, which is provided with upper outlets.
An air heat exchanger in the inner cabinet to which is supplied the cooling air
from the outer cabinet and circulating fans ensure a recycled inside air flow. In
addition, the electrical and electronic equipment are placed on cooling
elements, which are held in the wall openings of the inner cabinet and are
connected to the interior of the inner cabinet.
DE 102 10418A1 discloses a switch cabinet with a cooling device constructed
as a rear wall and which has an air-to-water heat exchanger and blower. The
partial hot air flows from the interior of the switch cabinet are subject to
suction action and returned as cooled air via a ventilating duct placed beneath
the interior and an air retaining chamber on the front to the interior of the
cabinet.
A modular switch cabinet system according to DE 198 25 602 C2 is provided
with a set of doors, which in each case have at least one fan, are replaceable
and constructed for the reception of a cooling module, e.g. a compressor cooler,
an air-to air heat exchanger or an air-to-water heat exchanger in accordance
with the given requirements.
DE 20 2004 006 552.5 U1 discloses an equipment and network cabinet,
particularly a server cabinet, with electronic modular units, particularly servers
located in the interior and an air-to-water heat exchanger placed in the lower
cabinet area and which is connected to the cold water supply of the building.


As a result of an air circulation with air paths of equal length and
therefore identical flow resistances for the individual modular units and due
to an aer-technical separation between the cold supply air and the heated
exhaust air, it is possible to supply to the individual modular units cold
supply air with an almost uniform supply air temperature. The removal of the
heat loss of the electronic modular units received in a housing with a fan,
takes place by means of a closed cooling air circuit, which has a supply air
duct, particularly at the front and extending over the arrangement of the
electronic modular units for the supply air cooled in the bottom air-to-water
heat exchanger, as well as an exhaust air duct, which has behind the
electronic modular units a first duct section for a rising exhaust air flow
and a second duct section for a falling exhaust air flow and which is located
in the rear door of the cabinet. The deflection of the exhaust air flow
takes place with the aid of fans in the upper area of the rear door and
advantageously the latter has a right-hand and a left-hand falling exhaust
air duct through which exhaust air is supplied to the air-to-water heat
exchanger.
US 6 819 563 Bl discloses an equipment cabinet installable in a room for
electronic equipment or components provided with a blower. Air conditioned
ambient air is supplied for cooling the electronic components in this indoor
equipment cabinet. The ambient air is cooled by means of an entrance heat
exchanger located in the equipment cabinet and which is supplied with cooling
water, then passes into the superimposed, stacked electronic equipment and is
then returned as heated exhaust air to the installation room. In addition,
an exit heat exchanger can be located in the equipment cabinet and cools the
heated exhaust air before the latter is delivered to the ambient air.
In the equipment cabinet of US 2004/0100770 Al the heat loss of superimposed
electronic components is removed with the aid of blowers and a combined air-
liquid cooling. On at least one cabinet side are installed an air-to-liquid
heat exchanger and the blowers are located in a separate housing and
connected to the reception area. Alternatively the air-to-liquid heat
exchanger units can be arranged in the form of a front and rear door. A
closed cooling air circuit is made possible by the formation of a supply or
removal area in the doors, as well as a connecting area below and/or above
the stack arrangement and additional fans can be located in the supply and
removal areas. The heat exchanger doors are articulated to the cabinet body
for accessing the reception area and electronic components and equipment.
DE 102 10 417 B4 describes an arrangement for cooling a switch cabinet in
which the heat loss of superimposed, heat-generating components is removed
with the aid of a heat exchanger rear wall or a rear wall heat exchanger
cabinet and a cooling air flow of a central cooling installation. The
cooling air flow of the central cooling installation passes from a double

bottom below the switch cabinet into a more particularly frontally
constructed supply air shaft and the heated exhaust air is cooled with the
aid of downstream fans in the heat exchanger rear wall or rear wall heat
exchanger cabinet using more particularly an air-to-water heat exchanger and
is either returned to the double bottom below the switch cabinet or to the
switch cabinet ambient air. The central cooling installation supplies both
the switch cabinet ambient air and the double bottom and consequently the
interior of the switch cabinet with cooling air, so that a relatively
complicated control arrangement is necessary to achieve the in each case
necessary cooling capacity.
WO 01/72099 A2 and US 2001/0042616 Al disclose a cooling system for equipment
and network cabinets serving to flexibly and effectively remove the heat loss
of high power, densely packed, electronic modular units in a plurality of
strung together cabinets in an installation area ore room. The cooling
system is intended to supplement the room air conditioning and make it less
expensive, in that the exhaust air heated in a cabinet is supplied by fans to
an air-to-fluid heat exchanger, cooled to ambient temperature and delivered
to the ambient air. The fans and heat exchanger are housed in an additional
housing fixed to the rear of the cabinet. The exhaust air from the cabinet
passes via an opening in the cabinet rear wall or door and a complementary
opening in the engaging heat exchanger fan housing into the interior of said
housing and is guided by means of the air-to-fluid heat exchanger in the
vicinity of the housing opening by means of downstream fans and via the
housing outer wall is delivered to the environment.
According to a data sheet of the applicant of WO 01/7209912 and US
2001/0042616 Al, Messrs. Liebert, Columbus, Ohio 43229, USA: RackCooler,
System Configuration Guide, drawing number 171439, rev. 07, 6/12/2002, pp 1
to 8 and the associated installation manual SL-16810 (9/01), pp 1 to 10, the
so-called RackCooler, i.e. the housing unit with an air-to-water heat
exchanger and superimposed fans is fixed externally to the rear door of
cabinets, and cooling water delivering the absorbed heat loss outside the
cabinet installation area, is supplied to each RackCooler by means of a
ground-installed pipe system and connecting hoses between said pipe system
and each RackCooler. Disadvantages of said retrofitting of existing doors
are system downtimes during retrofitting, possible overloading of existing
closure and hinge elements, low efficiency relative to the space requirement
due to the restriction of the areas available for cooling purposes due to
taking account of existing closure and hinge means and a relatively small
opening angle of the retrofitted door.
The connecting hoses extending from the bottom-side connection points to the
connections on each RackCooler must, due to the placing of the RackCooler on
the rear doors, have a relatively flexible construction and must be able to

follow the swinging movement of the doors. Therefore the disadvantages arises
of the connecting hoses only having an inadequate mechanical stability and
robustness, whilst also lacking the necessary gas tightness, so that due to gas
diffusion corrosion of the heat exchanger pipes can take place.
Objects of the Invention
The object of the invention is to provide a system for cooling electronic modular
units in equipment and network cabinets, particularly cabinet rows in an
installation area or room, which has a simple design and stable construction
and ensures the necessary accessibility to the reception area and an extremely
efficient removal of the heat loss of the electronic modular units.
According to the invention the object is achieved by the features disclosed in
the description and appropriate and advantageous developments appear in the
description relative to the drawings.
A fundamental idea of the invention is to construct a rear cooling arrangement
with an air-to fluid heat exchanger and fans in such a way that there is no
need for a pivoting movement of the heat exchanger or heat exchanger unit and
therefore the need for flexible connecting hoses and simultaneously access to
the rear of the cabinet is ensured. The term air-to-fluid heat exchanger is
understood to mean an air-to-liquid heat exchanger.
According to the invention a system with an air-to-fluid heat exchanger,
particularly an air-to-water heat exchanger, which is connected to the cold
water supply of the building and removes the heat loss to outside the cabinet
installation area is design-separated from a fan arrangement, which supplies
the air-to-fluid heat exchanger the exhaust air of the electronic modular units
of a cabinet. According to the invention the fans are integrated into a door,
preferably a rear door of a cabinet. Such a fan door preferably extends over the
entire cabinet height and at least over the height of the reception area for the
electronic modular units, e.g. servers and allows access to the servers, also
from the rear. Such a rear access is particularly advantageous when blade
servers are used and which are generally received in a stack arrangement so as
to be extractable rearwards instead of forwards.
According to the invention, design-separated from the fan door, the air-to-fluid
heat exchanger is placed in fixed manner on the rear of the cabinet whilst
covering a residual area of the cabinet rear, i.e. at least the area not covered by
the fan door.
The advantage of a rigid, appropriately dismantlable arrangement of the air-to
fluid heat exchanger longitudinally and preferably vertically alongside

the fan door and adjacently connected thereto preferably by means of hinges
is that there can be rigid pipes for connecting the pipe system for the
cooling fluid laid under the floor with each air-to-fluid heat exchanger of a
cabinet. There is no longer a need for flexible connecting hoses, because
the air-to-fluid heat exchanger is fixed in stationary and not pivotable
manner to the cabinet rear. The rigid pipes can be made from a gas
diffusion-tight material, which are in principle known from heating
engineering. Through excluding gas diffusion in the vicinity of the
connecting pipes, there is no or only a greatly reduced corrosion risk in the
vicinity of the heat exchanger leading to a longer service life.
It is advantageous that the fan door and longitudinally adjacent air-to-fluid
heat exchangers are constructed as a retrofittable unit and can replace a
conventional cabinet rear wall or door if there is a need for a much more
efficient heat loss removal.
The possible retrofitting also gives the advantageous possibility of
providing with relatively low capital and operating costs a high-power
cooling, particularly in commercial computer centres with up to 100 cabinets,
of individual cabinets in planned manner with the inventive fan door and the
adjacent, fixed air-to-fluid heat exchanger. This makes it possible to
optimize the equipping of the cabinets and also the filling of the room or
area with such cabinets, whilst simultaneously reducing costs for the air
conditioning thereof.
Appropriately in the fan door fans, preferably centrifugal fans, are arranged
in uniformly spaced and in particular superimposed manner and are directly or
indirectly fixed to an inside and outside of the housing-like fan door. For
removing the exhaust air from the reception area of the cabinet,
complementary openings are provided on the inside of the fan door and, after
deflecting by approximately 90°, the air passes through an at least zonally
air-permeable connection side of the fan door into the adjacent air-to-fluid
heat exchanger. An entrance side of the heat exchanger housing can
advantageously be made air-permeable or perforated in the same way as the
connection side of the fan door, and a parallel, air-permeably constructed
exit side of the heat exchanger housing permits the discharge of the cooled
air into the cabinet environment.
The supply of cooling air from the environment of the cabinets in the
reception area or room generally takes place in the vicinity of the front
cabinet door and the electronic modular units particularly in a stack
arrangement can in each case have a fan in their housings.
The fan door is appropriately articulated by means of hinges to the heat
exchanger and can be pivoted from a closed into an open position. A 180°

open position is particularly advantageous, because it allows an advantageous
access to the electronic modular units and to the cabling area on the back of
the cabinet. Appropriately there are corresponding seals in the vicinity of the
cabinet rear and/or the adjacent fan door and between the fan door and the
heat exchanger housing, so that in the operating position, i.e. with the fan door
closed, there is an efficient removal of the heated exhaust air, whilst cooling
and delivering the same to the ambient air.
It is advantageous that the fan door and/or the air-to-fluid heat exchanger can
be constructed for cabinets and rear access of different widths. For cabinets
with a width of approximately 750 mm and a heat exchanger unit with a width
of approximately 210 mm, an access area approximately 665 mm wide can be
obtained through a laterally projecting heat exchanger arrangement. If the
outside of the fan door is bevelled adjacent to the closing side of the fan door
an advantageous pivoting movement of the rear fan door of the adjacent
cabinet is made possible.
It is also advantageous with a cabinet e.g. having -a width of 600 mm and
preferably intended for blade servers, that the same heat exchanger unit can be
fixed to the rear of the cabinet, more particularly aligned with a side wall. The
fan door then has a smaller width, e.g. approximately 350 to 400 mm, but this
is adequate for operating the blade server from the rear. The fan door can be
articulated to the outer wall of the heat exchanger by means of hinges and can
be pivoted into an open position by 180° using a vertical pivot pin. The
superimposed fans are fixed to the inside of the door in the vicinity of e.g.
nozzle-shaped insertion openings and preferably extend to the outer wall of the
fan door, it being possible to provide a spacing retention. The fan door closing
device is appropriately adapted to the door construction and is located on the
closing side of the fan door facing the heat exchanger side.
It falls within the scope of the invention to provide further construction
variants for the inventive system of a rigidly fixed air-to-fluid heat exchanger
and a fan arrangement constructed as a fan door. For example the fan door
can be articulated to the cabinet rear wall on its side opposite to the heat
exchanger. The closing side of the door would then be on the heat exchanger
side. The advantages of such a construction are that the fan door does not
have to be carried by the heat exchanger unit and the loads are symmetrically
distributed over the cabinet to be retrofitted. It can also be expected that it is
easier to control sealing at the joining point between the fan door and heat
exchanger module, in that with the prestressing of the seal decreasing the
sealing action is not dependent on the rotation angle and also the contact
pressure can be influenced by the closing device. It is also advantageous that
with such a construction the free flow cross-section between fan door and heat
exchanger unit can be made larger, which leads to lower pressure losses.

In a variant the hinge jointing of the fan door can be located on an additional
structure, so that the pivot pin is spaced from the cabinet rear. By placing the
fulcrum of the fan door at a distance from the cabinet rear, there are more
degrees of freedom regarding the opening angle of the fan door.
According to a further development of the invention the heat exchanger is
positioned rigidly, but its housing is at least partly pivotable. This avoids the
disadvantages of a pivotable arrangement of the heat exchanger.
Simultaneously the heat exchanger module can be provided with a heat
exchanger door, which is articulated to a vertical pivot pin and allows access to
the heat exchanger. The separating plane between fan door and heat exchanger
door is determined by the system and space requirement of the fans and the
heat exchanger. Through both doors being pivotable about lateral, facing
rotation axes, there can be an advantageous sealing action in the vicinity of the
adjacent separating or sealing plane. An advantageous greater access to the
cabinet from the rear is possible if both doors are opened.
A rigid system of at least one heat exchanger and a pivotable fan door can, in a
further variant, also be achieved in that the cabinet rear has two door halves
and fans and a heat exchanger are located in each half. According to the
invention, each heat exchanger is positioned rigidly and each door or half-door
with the fans, e.g. two fans, is pivotably articulated about an axis, e.g. in the
vicinity of the heat exchanger. This design variant also gives good access to the
cabinet. A redundancy exists, because the separating plane between the door
halves is free, so that the fans can act on both heat exchangers. There is a
uniform heat removal on the back of the electronic modular units when the
doors are open.
According to a development the at least one heat exchanger and the fans can
be located in a door leaf, which essentially covers the entire cabinet back. The
heat exchanger is fixed rigidly and the fan door is pivotably arranged about a
longitudinal axis. Essential additional advantages of this system are good
access from the cabinet rear and a cooling capacity even when the doors are
open.
The cooling system according to the invention is preferably provided for an air
circulation in which the exhaust air from the cabinet reception area passes into
the fan door and then into the fixed installed heat exchanger. It falls within the
scope of the invention to pass the exhaust air flow from the cabinet firstly
through the heat exchanger and then via the fan door to the environment.

An advantageous esthetic overall impression arises if the heat exchanger
housing and the fan door, at least in the vicinity of the fan arrangement, have
virtually the same depth.
The essential advantages of the cooling system according to the invention are
the retrofittability and the use of gas-tight, rigid connecting pipes for the
cooling medium made possible by the rigid fixing of the heat exchanger unit.
As a result of the rigid arrangement of the heat exchanger there is also an
advantageous possibility of making rigid the interface with different cabinet
constructions, e.g. using screw connections, and the hinges and pivot bearings
necessary for the pivoting movement of the movable part, particularly the fan
door, can be made uniform for all cabinet types and sizes. This significantly
simplifies the retrofitting of existing equipment of network cabinets.
The invention is described in greater detail hereinafter relative to the attached
drawings.
Brief Description of the Accompanying Drawings
Fig. 1 - A view of the rear of an equipment and network cabinet with the system
according to the invention.
Fig. 2A- longitudinal section along line II-II of the equipment and network
cabinet of fig. 4.
Fig.3A - longitudinal section along line III-III of the equipment and network
cabinet of fig. 4.
Fig.4A - cross-section through the inventive system and the rear area of the
equipment and network cabinet according to fig. 1 in the closed position.
Fig.5A - cross-section identical to fig.4, but with the inventive system in the
open position.
Fig.6A - view of the rear of an equipment and network cabinet with an
alternative inventive system.
Fig.7A - cross-section through the inventive arrangement and rear area of the
equipment and network cabinet according to fig. 6 in the closed position
Fig. 8A - cross -section identical to fig.7, but in the open position of the
inventive system.

Fig. 9 to 13 - In highly diagrammatic form, alternative constructions of the
inventive system.
Detailed Description of the Invention
Figs 1 to 5 show a cabinet 2, particularly a server cabinet, with the cooling
arrangement according to the invention on the rear thereof. For cooling the
electronic modular units, particularly the not shown servers in a stacked
arrangement located in a reception area 3, in the vicinity of the rear of the
cabinet are provided a fan door 6 and an air-to-fluid heat exchanger 7, which
in longitudinally adjacent manner extending over the entire cabinet height
replace a conventional rear wall or door.
In this embodiment the fan door 6 has four superimposed fans 5 (cf. fig.2),
which extend from an inside 16 to an outside 18 of fan door 6 and suck
exhaust air 10 from the reception area 3 of cabinet 2 via openings 17 in the
inside 16 and subject it to a roughly 90° deflection (cf. also fig.4). Consequently
the exhaust air 10 passes into an exhaust air area or room 15 of the fan door 6
formed by the inside 16 and outside 18, together with a closing side 19 and
connecting side 20. On the closing side 19 is provided a closing device 29 with
which the fan door 6 can be closed in the operating position shown in fig.4. The
reception area 15 of the fan door 6 is connected by means of a sealed and at
least zonally air-permeable or perforated connecting side 20 to the air-to-fluid
heat exchanger 7, whereby an entrance side 21 of a heat exchanger housing 11
constructed in air-permeable or perforated manner is directly adjacent to the
connecting side 20 of the fan door (cf. fig.4). The exhaust air 10 entering the
heat exchanger 7 is cooled and by means of an exit side 22 parallel to entrance
side 21 is delivered as cooled exhaust air 30 to the ambient air of the
installation room of cabinets 2, preferably at ambient temperature.
Due to the fact that the fans 5 are uniformly spaced and extend over the entire
height of the cabinet or reception area 3 (cf. fig. 2) an efficient exhaust air
cooling adaptable to the requirements is ensured. The air-to-fluid heat
exchanger 7 which, in this embodiment, is a finned heat exchanger and has a
pipe-fin package 12 of vertically oriented pipes 13, e.g. copper pipes and
cooling fins, through the connection to the building cooling water supply
makes it possible to remove the heat loss to the outside of the cabinet reception
area or room.
As the heat exchanger 7 with its heat exchanger housing 11 is arranged in
fixed, but dismantlable manner in the vicinity of the rear of cabinet 2 and is
not involved in the pivoting environment of fan door 6, rigid connecting pipes
can be used between heat exchanger 7 and b'uilding-side cold water supply
pipe system (not shown). Such rigid connecting pipes are constructed in gas-
tight manner and prevent corrosion of pipes 13, which is generally unavoidable

with the flexible connecting hoses required for pivotably located heat
exchangers.
The articulation of the fan door 6 to the fixed air-to-fluid heat exchanger 7
takes place by means of hinges 14 located in the vicinity of the outside 18 of
fan door 6 and the outer wall 23 of heat exchanger housing 11 and ensure a
pivoting about a vertical pivot pin 25.
The cabinet of figs. 1 to 5 has a width of approximately 750 mm and the fan
door 6 is provided with a bevel 27 between closing device 29 and fans 5. This
bevel is advantageous for a generous open position (cf. fig. 5) with access via an
access area 8. The relatively wide access area 8 is also brought about by a
projecting arrangement of the air-to-fluid heat exchanger 7 (cf. figs. 4 and 5).
An adjacent cabinet is then positioned in correspondingly spaced manner and
the beveled construction of the fan door 6 also permit access to an adjacent
cabinet, even if the fan doors 6 of both cabinets are opened according to fig. 5.
The projecting air-to-fluid heat exchanger 7 only covers a relatively narrow
residual area 9 of the back of cabinet 2.
In an alternative system shown in figs 6 to 8, the substantially identically
constructed air-to-fluid heat exchanger 7 is flush with a side wall 26 of cabinet
2 (cf. figs 7 and 8). Therefore the heat exchanger 7 covers a wider residual area
9 of the rear of cabinet 2 and the access area 8 closed by a fan door 6 in the
closed position is narrower. However, this access area 8 still permits the
extraction of electronic modular units when the fan door 6 according to fig. 8 is
open, particularly in the case of a not shown blade server.
Also in the fan door 6 of cabinet 2 of figs. 6 to 8 there are four superimposed
fans 5 which suck exhaust air 10 from reception area 3 into door exhaust air
area 15. Following a roughly 90° deflection the exhaust air 10 passes into heat
exchanger 7 and is delivered to the environment after cooling by the cooling
liquid, particularly cooling water in pipes 13, using an exit side 22.
In figs. 6 to 8 identical reference numerals are used for identical features. The
cooling arrangement manufacturable as a modular unit from a pivotable fan
door 6 and a fixed exchanger 7 is able to replace a rear side or door of a
cabinet. The fan door 6 of figs. 6 to 8, which is narrower than that of figs. 1 to
5, has a correspondingly adapted closing device 29 and can be brought about a
vertical pivot pin 25 into an open position pivoted by 180° (fig.8).
Figs. 9 to 13 shows alternative constructions to the arrangement of the
retrofittable cooling system. Unlike in figs. 6 to 8, in fig.9 the fan door 6 is
articulated at the rear to cabinet 2 instead of to the air-to-fluid heat exchanger
7 or heat exchanger housing 11. Fan door 6 and air-to-fluid heat exchanger 7
extend over the rear of cabinet 2 and the connection side 20 of fan door 6 is

bevelled in complimentary manner to the entrance side 21 of heat exchanger
housing 11, so that the cross-section for air transfer is increased.
Fig. 10 shows a fan door 6 which is articulated on the side opposite to the air-
to-fluid heat exchanger 7. However, the pivot pin 25 is not located directly on
cabinet 2 or in the vicinity of a side wall 28 of cabinet 2 and is instead
positioned on an auxiliary structure 32, e.g. side wall 28, and therefore spaced
from the cabinet rear. Due to the resulting larger opening angle there is a
better accessibility to the cabinet.
In fig. 11 fan door 6 about the externally located pivot pin 25 and heat
exchanger housing 11 about the acing vertical pivot pin 35 can be pivoted
outwards, so that the access width is virtually unrestricted. In the vicinity of
the adjacent connection side 20 and entrance side 21a corresponding seal is
provided, which can advantageously be assisted by the closing device (not
shown) to be located here.
Fig. 12 shows a further development in which the inventive system of fans and
rigidly positioned heat exchangers (not shown) is implemented in a left-hand
door 40 and a right-hand door 41, which e.g. in the manner shown can be
constructed as door halves. The exhaust air from the cabinet 2 can be supplied
by means of not shown fans to each heat exchanger in each door 40, 41, so
that a particularly uniform heat removal is ensured.
In the alternative construction according to fig. 13 there is only one door 44 on
the rear of cabinet 2. In the vicinity of said door 24, which can be brought into
an open position about a pivot pin 45, there is once again a heat exchanger
(not shown) which is rigidly positioned and with said door 44 are only pivoted
the fans located therein. A

WE CLAIM
1. System for cooling electronic modular units in equipment and network
cabinets, particularly server cabinets, in an installation area, having a
front supply of cooling air from the environment of the cabinet (2), with
an air-to-liquid heat exchanger (7) and with fans (5), which are located in
the vicinity of a rear of cabinet (2) for removing the heat loss produced by
the electronic modular units and which suck the exhaust air (10) of the
electronic modular units supplied with the heat loss out of cabinet (2)
and, prior to delivery to the ambient air of cabinet (2), pass the same
through the air-to-liquid heat exchanger (7) for cooling purposes,
characterized in that
the fans (5) are integrated into a door and a fan door (6) is formed, which
in the closed position covers an access area (8) of the rear of cabinet (2)
and that the air-to-liquid heat exchanger (7) is positioned longitudinally
adjacent to the fan door (6) covering a residual area (9) of the rear of
cabinet (2).
2. System as claimed in claim 1, wherein the fans (5) are centrifugal fans
located in the fan door (6) and that the exhaust air (10) from the cabinet
(2), following a 90° deflection within the fan door (6), can be supplied to
the adjacent air-to-liquid heat exchanger (7).
3. System as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the fan door (6) is articulated
to the air-to-liquid heat exchanger (7) and can be pivoted from a closed
position by up to 180° into an open position.
4. System as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the cooling
liquid of the air-to-liquid heat exchanger (7) delivers the absorbed heat
loss outside the cabinet installation area.
5. System as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein an air-to-
water heat exchanger is used as the air-to liquid heat exchanger (7).
6. System as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the air-to-
liquid heat exchanger (7) has a pipe-fin package (12) with vertically

oriented pipes (13) for cooling liquid, particularly for cold water from the
cold water supply of the building in a heat exchanger housing (11).
7. System as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the fan door
(6) is constructed in housing-like-manner and has an inside (16) with
openings (17) for the exhaust air (10) to be sucked out of the cabinet (2),
an outside (18) which, at least in the vicinity of the fans (5), is positioned
parallel to an inside (16), a closing side (19) and a connection side (20)
parallel thereto and which is adjacent to an entrance side (21) of the heat
exchanger housing (11) and, like the latter, is at least zonally perforated.
8. System as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the heat
exchanger housing (11) has an exit side (22) facing the entrance side (21)
and through which passes out the exhaust air (30) cooled to roughly
ambient temperature in the air-to-liquid heat exchanger (7).
9. System as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the fan door
(6) is constructed for differently wide cabinets (2) and/or differently wide
rear access area (8).

10. System as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the air-
to-liquid heat exchanger (7) is fixed in dismantlable manner in the rear
area of the cabinet (2).
11. System as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the air-
to-liquid heat exchanger (7) is aligned with a side wall (26) of the cabinet
(2) or projects over the side wall (26) of the cabinet (2).
12. System as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the fan
door (6) can be pivoted about a vertical axis (25) with the aid of hinges
(14), which are located on the outside (18) of the fan door (6) and an
outer wall (23) of heat exchanger housing (11).
13. System as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the
pipe-fin package (12) of the air-to-liquid heat exchanger (7) are connected

by connecting hoses made from a gas diffusion-tight material to the cold
water supply of the building.
14. System as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein in the
fan door (6) are superimposed and/or juxtaposed several fans (5) and are
fixed to the inside (16) and outside (18).
15. System as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the air-
to-liquid heat exchanger (7), like the fan door (6), extends over the height
of the cabinet (2), at least over the height of the reception area (3).
16. System as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the fan
door (6) and air-to-liquid heat exchanger (7) are constructed as
retrofitting units.
17. System as claimed in any of the claims 1,2 and 4 to 16, wherein
the fan door (6) is articulated to the cabinet (2) and can be pivoted by up
to 180° from a closed position into an open position.
18. System as claimed in claim 17, wherein the fan door (6) with a
beveled connection side (20) engages in sealed manner on an entrance
side (21) of the heat exchanger housing (11).
19. System as claimed in claim 17 or 18, wherein the pivot pin (25) is
located on an auxiliary structure (32) of the cabinet (2).
20. System as claimed in any of the claims 17 to 19, wherein the air-
to-liquid heat exchanger (7) is placed in rigid manner on the rear of the
cabinet (2) and the heat exchanger housing (11) can be brought about a
pivot pin (35) into an open position.
21. System as claimed in any of the claims 17 to 20, wherein on the
rear of the cabinet (2) are provided two fan doors (40,41) in the vicinity of

which is in each case provided a heat exchanger and which can be
brought into an open position by pivot pins (25).
22. System as claimed in any of the claims 17 to 21, wherein on the
rear of the cabinet (2) is provided a fan door (44) extending over the
entire rear and which can be brought about a pivot pin (45) into an open
position and at least one heat exchanger is fixed rigidly in the vicinity of
the pivotable fan door (44).
23. System as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the fans
(5) which supply the air-to liquid heat exchanger (7) with the exhaust air
(10) supplied with heat loss from cabinet (2) are located downstream of
the air-to-liquid heat exchanger (7).


System for cooling electronic modular units in equipment and network cabinets, particularly
server cabinets, in an installation area, having a front supply of cooling air from the environment
of the cabinet (2), with an air-to-liquid heat exchanger (7) and with fans (5), which are located
in the vicinity of a rear of cabinet (2) for removing the heat loss produced by the electronic
modular units and which suck the exhaust air (10) of the electronic modular units supplied with
the heat loss out of cabinet (2) and, prior to delivery to the ambient air of cabinet (2), pass the
same through the air-to-liquid heat exchanger (7) for cooling purposes,
wherein
the fans (5) are integrated into a door and a fan door (6) is formed, which in the closed position
covers an access area (8) of the rear of cabinet (2) and that the air-to-liquid heat exchanger (7)
is positioned longitudinally adjacent to the fan door (6) covering a residual area (9) of the rear
of cabinet (2).

Documents:

02253-kolnp-2006-abstract-1.1.pdf

02253-kolnp-2006-abstract.pdf

02253-kolnp-2006-claims-1.1.pdf

02253-kolnp-2006-claims.pdf

02253-kolnp-2006-correspondence others-1.1.pdf

02253-kolnp-2006-correspondence others.pdf

02253-kolnp-2006-correspondence-1.2.pdf

02253-kolnp-2006-description(complete).pdf

02253-kolnp-2006-drawings-1.1.pdf

02253-kolnp-2006-drawings.pdf

02253-kolnp-2006-form-1.pdf

02253-kolnp-2006-form-2.pdf

02253-kolnp-2006-form-26.pdf

02253-kolnp-2006-form-3.pdf

02253-kolnp-2006-form-5.pdf

02253-kolnp-2006-international search authority report.pdf

02253-kolnp-2006-others document.pdf

02253-kolnp-2006-pct others.pdf

02253-kolnp-2006-priority document-1.1.pdf

02253-kolnp-2006-priority document.pdf

2253-KOLNP-2006-(18-10-2011)-PETITION UNDER RULE 137.pdf

2253-KOLNP-2006-(25-01-2012)-CORRESPONDENCE.pdf

2253-KOLNP-2006-AMANDED CLAIMS.pdf

2253-KOLNP-2006-AMANDED PAGES OF SPECIFICATION.pdf

2253-KOLNP-2006-CANCELLED PAGES 1.1.pdf

2253-KOLNP-2006-CORRESPONDENCE 1.1.pdf

2253-KOLNP-2006-CORRESPONDENCE.pdf

2253-KOLNP-2006-DRAWINGS 1.1.pdf

2253-KOLNP-2006-ENGLISH TRANSLATED OF PRIORITY DOCUMENT.pdf

2253-KOLNP-2006-EXAMINATION REPORT.pdf

2253-KOLNP-2006-FORM 1 1.1.pdf

2253-KOLNP-2006-FORM 18.1.pdf

2253-KOLNP-2006-FORM 18.pdf

2253-KOLNP-2006-FORM 2 1.1.pdf

2253-KOLNP-2006-FORM 26.pdf

2253-KOLNP-2006-FORM 3 1.1.pdf

2253-KOLNP-2006-FORM 3.pdf

2253-KOLNP-2006-FORM 5 1.1.pdf

2253-KOLNP-2006-FORM 5.pdf

2253-KOLNP-2006-GRANTED-ABSTRACT.pdf

2253-KOLNP-2006-GRANTED-CLAIMS.pdf

2253-KOLNP-2006-GRANTED-DESCRIPTION (COMPLETE).pdf

2253-KOLNP-2006-GRANTED-DRAWINGS.pdf

2253-KOLNP-2006-GRANTED-FORM 1.pdf

2253-KOLNP-2006-GRANTED-FORM 2.pdf

2253-KOLNP-2006-GRANTED-SPECIFICATION.pdf

2253-KOLNP-2006-REPLY TO EXAMINATION REPORT.pdf

2253-KOLNP-2006-REPLY TO EXAMINATION REPORT1.1.pdf

abstract-02253-kolnp-2006.jpg


Patent Number 251771
Indian Patent Application Number 2253/KOLNP/2006
PG Journal Number 14/2012
Publication Date 06-Apr-2012
Grant Date 30-Mar-2012
Date of Filing 09-Aug-2006
Name of Patentee KNUERR AG
Applicant Address MARIAKIRCHENER STRASSE 38,D-94424 ARNSTORF
Inventors:
# Inventor's Name Inventor's Address
1 MILTKAU,THORSTEN JOSEF-SCGREUBEER-STRASSE 27,94469 DEGGENDORF
2 WEISSMANN,LARS KREUZHOFSTRABE 5,91725 EBINGEN.
3 EBERMANN,HEIKO AN DER WINKELWIESE 13,01109 DRESDEN
4 WILLNECKER,MANFRED HOGLSBERGER STRASSE 9,94439 ROSSBACH
5 FONFARA,HARALD JAGERHOLZLSTRASSE 29,94551 LALLING
6 KUENKLER,THOMAS LAPPERSDORF 4,94428 EICHENDORF.
7 KOCH, PETER BERGGASSE 3, 86946 VILGERTSHOFEN
8 BRETSCHNEIDER,RAINER SIEDLERSTRASSE 21,01662 MEISSEN
PCT International Classification Number H05K 7/20
PCT International Application Number PCT/EP05/013023
PCT International Filing date 2005-12-05
PCT Conventions:
# PCT Application Number Date of Convention Priority Country
1 10 2005 005 296.7.5 2005-02-04 Germany