Coolant guiding element and coolant guiding device

A coolant-conducting element with an enclosed, linearly extending hollow profiled body, having an exterior wall with a multitude of access openings spaced apart from each other in a longitudinal direction and open or closed but can be opened, toward a conduit arrangement located in the interior. The conduit arrangement has an inflow conduit and an outflow conduit to each of which a number of access openings are assigned. A coolant-conducting arrangement with such a coolant-conducting element is also disclosed.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates to a coolant-conducting element with an enclosed, linearly extending hollow profiled body, having an exterior wall with a multitude of access openings, which are spaced apart from each other in a longitudinal direction and are open, or closed but can be opened, toward a conduit arrangement located in the interior, as well as to a coolant-conducting arrangement for electric or electronic devices housed in a switchgear cabinet shelf or a rack or an information technology work station and having at least one coolant-conducting element.

2. Discussion of Related Art

A coolant-conducting element and a coolant-conducting arrangement with such a coolant-conducting element has a conduit for conducting the coolant, for example air, in a linearly extending profiled body, which has several openings for cooling the heat-producing electronic components used, for example, in a component carrier. However, the results of cooling thus obtained are often insufficient.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

One object of this invention is to provide a coolant-conducting element, as well as a coolant-conducting arrangement having such a coolant-conducting element, which makes possible an increased cooling effect along with simple use and simple mounting options.

This object is attained with this invention having the characteristics discussed in this specification and in the claims. With the coolant-conducting element of this invention the conduit arrangement has an inflow conduit and an outflow conduit, to each of which a number of access openings are assigned. The coolant-conducting inflow conduit has the coolant-conducting element so embodied.

With these steps the construction of a cooling system with a specific coolant inflow and the outflow of heated coolant is possible using simple installation options.

With a compact construction, the effectiveness of the cooling is aided because the inflow conduit and the outflow conduit are separated from each other by a one-piece separation wall of the profiled body.

The separating wall can have an insulator of lower heat-conducting capabilities than the material of the profiled body.

In one embodiment the insulating means or the insulator is a hollow space extending over the length and substantially over the width of the separating wall, or is a heat-insulating solid body.

For conducting the coolant and the cooling output, the surrounding wall areas of the inflow conduit and the outflow conduit are coated.

Other embodiments, for manufacture and use, have the profiled body extruded from metal and of plastic.

The structure of the coolant-conducting arrangement is such that the coolant-conducting element is attached along a frame leg to at least one mounting rail, or is attached to the inside of a covering element.

The installation, and also retrofitting or modifying of the coolant-conducting arrangement, are aided because the frame leg is formed as a profiled frame with an integrated chamber, which is open toward the interior of the switchgear cabinet or the rack, into which the coolant-conducting element is inserted.

The steps, that holding elements are provided in the chamber, by which the coolant-conducting element can be fixed in place in the latter, also promote simple mounting.

Different embodiment possibilities have the coolant-conducting element snapped into the chamber and screwed in, glued in, welded in or soldered in or clamped in it.

Various installation possibilities are possible with the coolant-conducting element pushed in the longitudinal direction of the support profile from the direction of a front opening, or inserted perpendicularly with respect to the longitudinal direction via a longitudinal opening of the support profile, and from the coolant-conducting element has access openings on its accessible longitudinal side.

An improved cooling effect is achieved if the cooling ribs extending in the longitudinal direction are arranged on the coolant-conducting element.

An assembly chamber becomes usable with as high as possible a degree of effectiveness because the exterior cross-sectional contour of the coolant-conducting element is matched to the interior cross-sectional contour of the chamber.

Further advantages in connection with the structure and, for example, the ruggedness, as well as mounting possibilities, of a rack result because the profiled frame has at least two chambers, one of which forms the receiving chamber for the coolant-conducting element, and the additional ones which each is used for assembly purposes and/or reinforcement purposes.

Along with a simple construction, a simple fixing in place of the coolant-conducting elements results because two holding strips, which are pointed toward each other, are arranged in the clear opening area of the chamber.

If the coolant-conducting element is connected, or connectable, to a coolant supply and/or coolant removal device via one or two connecting elements inserted into the profiled frame at one or both front faces, and/or via adapters inserted into the access openings, simple connection possibilities to cooling units are achieved.

In one advantageous construction of the coolant-conducting arrangement, the coolant-conducting arrangement conducts a liquid cooling medium and is connected to an air/liquid heat exchanger or a liquid/liquid heat exchanger.

The specific and effective cooling, in particular of electronic components which produce large amounts of heat, is achieved because the coolant-conducting element is connected via the access openings to cooling elements, which are thermally coupled with electronic components.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

A frame leg in the shape of a profiled frame10is shown inFIGS. 1A to 3and is embodied as a profiled multi-chamber wherein, for constructing a shelf1(seeFIG. 2), outward directed sealing edges12,12′, as well as a free space19with an obliquely extending profiled wall are formed in an outer edge area, while an open hollow space in the form of a chamber11is provided toward the interior of the shelf1to be constructed. A coolant-conducting element20in the form of a closed multi-chamber hollow profile is inserted into the chamber11. The interior of the hollow profile has a conduit arrangement with conducting conduits21, such as an inflow conduit21.1and an outflow conduit21.2, separated from the former by a separating wall21.3. A row of access openings22are arranged on the opening side of the coolant-conducting element20oriented toward the inside chamber, through which a flow connection with the conducting conduits21extending in the interior of the coolant-conducting element20is provided. The access openings22can be closed by prepared predetermined breaking points or inserted caps, or can contain connecting elements, or can also remain open for cooling purposes.

The outer cross section of the coolant-conducting element20is matched to the inner cross section of the hollow space11and comprises a suitable material, in particular plastic or metal, for the respective coolant to be conducted, for example air or a liquid coolant. The separating wall21.3is made of one piece with the coolant-conducting element20, for example in the course of the extrusion process. The separating wall is heat-insulating, for which purpose a further hollow chamber or a well heat-insulating solid body element is inserted as the insulating means21.4. The wall surfaces surrounding the inflow conduit21.1and the outflow conduit21.2can be coated with a smooth and/or heat-insulating and permanent material.

The profiled frame10receiving the coolant-conducting element20forms a support profile with a support profile section13for the shelf1. The hollow space11, which is accessible from the inner opening side in the form of a longitudinal opening11.2has an approximately rectangular of square base shape, which is surrounded by lateral walls11.3and a base wall11.4and, at the free areas of the lateral walls11.3in the area of the longitudinal opening11.2, has holding strips11.1, or holding ribs, which are directed against each other (seeFIG. 3), and which are provided toward the outside with insertion bevels or curvatures, and toward the inside of the hollow space or the chamber11with right-angled shoulders, for example, so that the coolant-conducting element20, which has round edges on its side opposite its inlet openings22, can be pushed and snapped in, when the profiled frame10and/or the coolant-conducting element20each is embodied appropriately elastic. Alternatively, it is also possible to introduce the coolant-conducting element20in the longitudinal direction into the hollow space11.

The profiled frame10is advantageously used as at least one vertical frame leg of the shelf1, which is connected by suitable corner connectors or by simple screwing with top frame and bottom frames formed of horizontal frame legs10,10′,10″ over the width or depth, as shown inFIG. 2. The coolant can be introduced into the coolant-conducting element20of the shelf1at the front or through suitable access openings22, and removed from it again, for example by a pump or a ventilator. Built-in devices to be cooled can be individually connected by appropriate lines and connectors at their housings, or the entire switchgear cabinet interior can be cooled. During this, coolant or air can be supplied through the inflow conduit21.1, and heated coolant or air can be removed through the outflow conduit21.2.

The coolant-conducting element20can also have cooling ribs23, which are arranged in the longitudinal direction, which protrude, for example, toward the opening side from an intermediate wall which closes off the conducting conduit21and extends parallel with the opening side. In this way the cooling ribs can cool heated air brought in through the access openings22, wherein the heat can be removed via the coolant, liquid or air, flowing in the coolant conduits21.

For example, as represented inFIG. 1C, the profiled frame10has an outer profile side15forming the lateral wall11.3, as well as an inner profile side14facing the interior of the shelf1, which also follows fromFIGS. 1A,1B and3, together withFIG. 2. In the present case, two T-grooves16extending in the longitudinal direction, are formed on the outer profile side15, by which fastening opportunities for mounting element exist. It is possible to provide rows of fastening openings, for example, in the inner profile side14, which adjoins laterally with respect to the longitudinal openings11.2in the direction toward the outside of the shelf1and forms the inner wall of a further closed chamber17of the profiled frame10, so that further fastening opportunities exist, such as shown for example by the lower horizontal frame legs inFIG. 2and as known.

In connection with a work station system, for example with a desk arrangement, the lateral supports can for example be embodied as column-like frame legs made of profiled frames10with a coolant-conducting device in accordance with the above remarks. The access openings to the coolant-conducting devices are arranged on the inside or outside of the frame legs facing the table top or a support plate located above it, so that electrical devices, in particular devices in connection with information technology, such as computers, servers or monitors or the like, positioned on the table top or the support plates, can be easily connected by appropriate adapter elements to the coolant-conducting device for cooling. One or several rows of fastening receivers are cut into the insides of the vertical frame legs and extend in the longitudinal direction for suspending support elements for the table tops or support plates or similar receiving elements, from which the support arms in the form of horizontal frame legs made of profiled frames with coolant-conducting elements of the type described can be suspended or to which they can be screwed. The connection of horizontal and vertical coolant-conducting elements20can be provided by simple connecting elements having a conduit for the coolant and connecting elements. The frame legs are preferably flat, at least on their inside, and for example can substantially have a rectangular cross section or can be rounded on their outside. With the profiled frames as vertical and/or horizontal frame legs, there are many connecting possibilities and branching possibilities of the coolant-conducting devices.

The terms shelf, rack, switchgear cabinet, work station system are understood to include such arrangements or combinations thereof in connection with information technology (IT), for example frame structures or shelves or tables for monitors or server cabinets or the like.

FIG. 4shows an example of the construction of a coolant-conducting arrangement with a cooling-conducting element20installed in the above described manner. Here, the coolant-conducting arrangement is embodied as a liquid cooling system for cooling a plurality of electronic components31housed in a rack32, which respectively has at least one central processing unit (CPU)1.1of high computing output in a housing containing the electronic component31as the main heat producer.

For cooling the electronic component31, in particular the processing units or the computer units embodied as an integrated component, cooling elements34of the liquid cooling units, provided with conduits, are attached to the component body with close heat-conducting contact, through which the coolant is conducted on as long as possible a path. The liquid cooling units with the cooling elements4are connected via respective inflow branch lines and outflow branch lines with the inflow conduit21.1and the outflow conduit21.2by connecting elements via the access openings22. In the lower area, the cooling-conduit element20is connected via a further section of the inflow branch35.2and of the outflow branch35.3to a water/water heat exchanger36enclosed in an electronics housing33. A monitoring and control device39for functions of the switchgear cabinet or rack32is received in the electronics housing33and, inter alia, is also connected to the inflow branch35.2and the outflow branch35.3for detecting the temperatures of the existing liquid or the water.

In order to prevent too high room temperatures, the water/water heat exchanger6is connected by further lines to a re-cooling installation7, which assures a dependable cooling of the coolant and offers the opportunity to emit the generated heat also outside of the space, for example, in which the rack32or the switchgear cabinet with the electronic components to be cooled are located.

Moreover, the upper area of the central liquid line system35with the coolant-conducting element20is connected via further lines to an air/water heat exchanger38, arranged on the rack32or the switchgear cabinet, by which further cooling of the liquid is achieved and furthermore, with an appropriate design, the general temperature in the area of the component groups, or in the interior of the switchgear cabinet, can be reduced.

Furthermore, a monitor-keyboard unit40and a server switch control41are also arranged by way of example in the rack32which because of the small heat output, need not be connected to the central liquid line system5.

If, by means of temperature sensors or liquid flow monitors in or on the liquid line system, the monitoring and control device39detects that, for example, the absolute temperature in the outflow branch35.3, or a temperature difference between the inflow branch35.2and the outflow branch35.3exceeds a preset or presettable threshold, it issues an error signal or error report, by which a warning lamp or a warning sound can be switched on, or a display for informing a user can be controlled, wherein it is also possible to pass it on to a remote monitoring station via a network connection. Also, the monitoring and control device39can be embodied in such a way that, in case of the appearance of an error signal, it shuts off the common electrical current supply to the electronic components31located in the rack32, or the switchgear cabinet, so that there is no damage due to the temperature, to this installation, which as a rule is expensive.