Patent ID: 7637118

Claim:
A cooling device for a switchgear cabinet ( 10 ), having an air-conducting conduit ( 12 ) in which an air/water heat exchanger ( 14 ) is arranged and through which cooling air flows and to which a condensate collection container ( 16 ) for collecting accumulating condensate ( 18 ) is assigned, the cooling device comprising: an external cooling device ( 22 ) connected to the air/water heat exchanger ( 14 ) via a cooling water feed line ( 24 ) for supplying the air/water heat exchanger with cooled cooling water, and via a cooling water return line ( 26 ) for returning warmed cooling water to the external cooling device; a fan for moving air over the air/water heat exchanger, wherein the cooling water from the cooling water feed line ( 24 ) flows through the air/water heat exchanger to absorb heat energy from the moving air, and into the cooling water return line ( 26 ); a pump installation ( 20 ) removing condensate ( 18 ) from the condensate collection container ( 16 ), wherein the pump installation ( 20 ) is connected with the cooling water return line ( 26 ) and pumps the condensate ( 18 ) out of the condensate collection container ( 16 ) into the cooling water return line ( 26 ) to be joined with the returning warmed cooling water exiting the air/water heat exchanger; and a sensor device ( 28 ) arranged in the condensate collection container ( 16 ), wherein the sensor device ( 28 ) is connected with the pump installation ( 20 ) so that the pump installation ( 20 ) pumps the condensate ( 18 ) into the cooling water return line ( 26 ) when a predetermined level of condensate is reached.