Cooling and energy-saving device for outdoor cabinets of small base stations

Abstract

"Cooling and energy-saving device for outdoor cabinets of small base stations" is a cooling and energy-saving device used in the cabinets of outdoor small communication base stations. It has a simple structure, low cost, is safe and reliable, and does not require energy supply. It can greatly reduce the opening time of the air conditioner, save air conditioning electricity and extend its service life. It will not enter dust, will not cause pollution, and requires almost no maintenance. When the temperature outside the cabinet is lower than the temperature of the hot air in the upper part of the cabinet, the chimney effect and siphon effect formed in the closed finned tube heat dissipation system installed on the top of the cabinet and connected to the upper and lower spaces of the cabinet are used to make the hot air in the cabinet automatically enter the pipe and continuously circulate outside the cabinet. During the flow process, it exchanges heat with the cooler air outside the cabinet through the pipe wall, and automatically flows back to the cabinet after cooling, thereby achieving the effect of automatically cooling the air in the cabinet. When the temperature outside the cabinet is high, it will automatically stop flowing.

Description

[0001] (I) Technical field: The present invention belongs to the technical field of energy saving of communication base stations.

[0002] (II) Background technology: In the field of mobile communication technology, with the advancement of technology, a small outdoor "integrated communication base station" has emerged in recent years. The various basic elements and infrastructure equipment that make up the improved base station are deeply integrated and simplified in design, and installed in a small outdoor cabinet. According to the task requirements and equipment conditions, the small outdoor cabinet of an integrated base station is divided into several separate but interconnected unit cabins, and installed together with the antenna tower. Nowadays, many such small integrated cabinet-type communication base stations can be seen on the sidewalks on the streets.

[0003] Since the electrical equipment placed in the outdoor cabinet will generate heat during use, it needs to be dissipated to maintain the normal working temperature of the equipment and electrical appliances; at the same time, the cabinet placed outdoors will also be exposed to the sun. The sun's exposure and the high temperature in summer will increase the temperature inside the cabinet, making it possible for the cabinet to exceed the upper limit of the allowable temperature. Therefore, while solving the heat dissipation problem for the cabinet, it is also necessary to solve the problem of preventing external heat from entering the cabinet. Generally, the cabinet adopts a double-layer metal plate insulation structure with foam insulation material in the middle to prevent sun exposure and external heat from entering; and the heat dissipation method usually adopts the installation of a small air conditioner for heat dissipation and temperature control, as well as ventilation with a filter. Since the electrical equipment in the cabinet is working continuously, it will also generate heat continuously and need to be dissipated continuously. Therefore, whether it is cooling with an air conditioner or ventilation, it needs to consume electricity continuously. And even if a filter is used, not only does the filter need to be maintained frequently, but ventilation will also bring dust and other external pollutants into the cabinet, affecting the normal operation of the equipment.

[0004] Previously, the applicant investigated the actual situation of more than 100 outdoor cabinets of small base stations in Beijing, and found that most of the small base stations used the cabinet door to dissipate heat for the equipment inside the cabinet, indicating that the small air conditioners and fans used in the existing cabinets are not easy to use. To solve this problem, the applicant has filed a patent application for "'Air cabinet self-circulation' cooling and energy-saving device for outdoor cabinets of small base stations". When the temperature outside the cabinet is lower than the temperature of the hot air in the upper part of the cabinet, the chimney effect and siphon effect formed in the vertical inverted U-shaped closed pipe connected to the cabinet are used to make the air in the cabinet automatically circulate in the pipe outside the cabinet, and exchange heat with the cooler air outside the cabinet through the pipe wall during the flow process, so that the air in the cabinet can automatically cool down. Using this continuous natural circulation ventilation device that does not require energy supply to cool the cabinet can greatly reduce the opening time of the air conditioner, achieve the purpose of energy saving and cooling, and will not enter dust, will not cause pollution in the cabinet, and can also extend the service life of the air conditioner. However, this technical solution has a disadvantage, that is, the inverted U-shaped closed pipe used for cooling is relatively high and needs to be supported by a tower or a special support rod with a support frame, which is not suitable for use in many places (such as the roadside). The "cooling and energy-saving device for outdoor cabinets of small base stations" currently proposed is a low and compact energy-saving device that can also enable the air in the cabinet to automatically circulate in the pipe outside the cabinet, and exchange heat with the cooler air outside the cabinet through the pipe wall during the flow process, so that the air in the cabinet can automatically cool down.

[0005] (III) Invention content: The present invention "a cooling and energy-saving device for an outdoor cabinet of a small base station" is a device installed on an outdoor cabinet [8] of a small base station, starting from an air inlet [1] opened on the top or side of the cabinet, to transport the hot air in the upper space of the cabinet through an upward air duct [2] that can produce a chimney effect, and an inverted U-shaped pipe structure composed of a horizontal pipe [3] and a downward air duct [4] to the upper inlet of a finned tube radiator [5] lying on the top of the cabinet, and then from the lower outlet of the finned tube radiator [5], through a downward return air duct [6] attached to the outer surface of the cabinet downward or penetrating into the cabinet from the top of the cabinet to reach the lower space of the cabinet, and a downward return air duct [6] connected to the lower part of the cabinet. The air outlet [7] of the pipe connected to the upper space of the cabinet can guide the air after the heat dissipation through the sealed pipe system with siphon effect into the lower space of the cabinet [8] to form a sealed pipe heat dissipation system; the height can also be further reduced, the horizontal pipe [3] and the downward air pipe [4] can be omitted, and the hot air in the upper space of the cabinet can be directly transported to the upper inlet of the fin tube radiator [5] placed on the top of the cabinet through a shorter upward air pipe [2], and then the air after the heat dissipation through the fin tube radiator [5] is guided from the outlet below the fin tube radiator [5] through the downward return air pipe [6] and the air outlet [7] of the pipe system into the lower space of the cabinet [8].

[0006] It is not difficult to see that such a heat dissipation pipe system is much lower than the previously higher "'air cabinet self-circulation' cooling and energy-saving device for outdoor cabinets of small base stations". When an inverted U-shaped pipe structure with an ascending air pipe, a transverse pipe and a descending air pipe is connected to the upper inlet of the finned tube radiator lying on the top of the cabinet, the height of the transverse pipe above the cabinet is generally about 1.5 meters; if the transverse pipe and the descending air pipe are omitted, the hot air in the upper space of the cabinet is directly connected to the upper inlet of the finned tube radiator lying on the top of the cabinet through an ascending air pipe, and the total height on the cabinet is less than 1 meter. The diameter of the pipe can be selected between 3 cm and 10 cm. Such a compact structure is obviously easier to install and use in combination on the outdoor cabinet of a small base station, especially for the outdoor cabinet of a small base station on a narrow ground beside the road.

[0007] Since this "cooling and energy-saving device for outdoor cabinets of small base stations" is significantly lower in height than the previous "'air cabinet self-circulation' cooling and energy-saving device for outdoor cabinets of small base stations", the chimney effect and siphon effect are significantly weakened. In order to make up for the lack of heat dissipation capacity, a method that can significantly extend the heat dissipation flow path length and heat dissipation area of ​​the gas in the pipeline is adopted, that is, a tortuous multi-layer horizontal fin tube radiator is installed on the cabinet. This fin tube radiator lying on the top of the cabinet has a multi-layer composite structure. Not only does each layer consist of two, three or more parallel fin tubes, but also starting from the air inlet at the top, it is arranged in layers in series or parallel, and descending layer by layer. There can be two, three or more layers at the top and bottom, which are connected in series or in parallel layer by layer, so that the air inside can flow from top to bottom, and in the process of flowing, it exchanges heat with the cool air outside the pipe through the pipe wall and the fins on the pipe wall, so that it changes from hot to cold, until it flows out from the outlet of the bottom layer of the fin tube radiator, flows into the lower space of the cabinet through the downward return air pipe and the air outlet of the pipe system, thus forming an outside-cabinet circulation flow of the air in the cabinet in the pipe outside the cabinet, and in the process of circulating flow, it exchanges heat with the cooler air outside the pipe through the pipe wall, so as to achieve the purpose of cooling the air in the cabinet.

[0008] As long as the temperature outside the cabinet is lower than the temperature of the hot air in the upper part of the cabinet, when the "cooling and energy-saving device for outdoor cabinets of small base stations" is installed, the hot air in the vertical upward air pipe will rise due to the chimney effect formed by its light weight, pass through the top horizontal pipe and the downward air pipe, and the closed pipe system of the finned tube radiator placed on the top of the cabinet and gradually descending, and exchange heat with the cooler air outside the cabinet through the pipe wall and fins on the pipe that are easy to transfer heat, dissipate heat while flowing, gradually become cooler and heavier, and sink, and produce a siphon effect until it flows out of the air outlet of the pipe and enters the lower space of the cabinet. When the hot air in the upper part of the cabinet enters the pipe, the vacancy in the upper part is filled by the cooler air in the lower part, forming a circulation flow, which reduces the temperature in the cabinet. In the whole process, in addition to the chimney effect of the upward air pipe, there is also a siphon effect in the closed pipe, which promotes the natural circulation of gas. This flow does not require external energy, and as long as the air temperature outside the cabinet is lower than the temperature of the hot air in the upper part of the cabinet, the circulation of this gas will continue. This can achieve the purpose of cooling the hot air in the cabinet, making the temperature inside the cabinet close to the cooler air outside the cabinet. Here, it should be noted that the entire pipeline system must be airtight, otherwise it will be difficult to form an effective siphon effect and a one-way circulation of air.

[0009] In summer, when the temperature outside the cabinet is higher than the air temperature in the upper part of the cabinet, the air in the duct system will also become hotter. If the air in the duct becomes hotter than the hot air in the cabinet, it will float on the surface because the hotter air has a lighter specific gravity than the air in the cabinet, and will not enter the cabinet. At this time, turning on the air conditioner to cool down will not increase the burden of the air conditioner.

[0010] The sealing connection method of the pipeline can be welding, or it can be connected by screw butt joint with sealing gaskets or flange butt joint.

[0011] The airtight heat dissipation pipes of the "cooling and energy-saving device used in outdoor cabinets of small base stations" are made of metal materials that are easy to conduct heat. Since it is used outdoors, the material itself must be weather-resistant or have a weather-resistant surface treatment. In addition, in order to enhance the area, efficiency and speed of heat exchange between the air inside and outside the pipe, in addition to the finned tube radiator that is placed on the top of the cabinet and gradually descends, other pipes are also made of finned tubes with heat sinks on the outside of the pipe as much as possible, especially stainless steel or aluminum alloy finned tubes.

[0012] In order to enhance the installation strength, stability and safety of the "cooling and energy-saving device for outdoor cabinets of small base stations", square frame brackets [9] are installed at the four corners of the cabinet [8] to fix appropriate parts of the pipeline system, and there are protective nets

[10] between the frames of the brackets [9]. The height of the brackets is generally within 80 cm.

[0013] Since the "cooling and energy-saving device for outdoor cabinets of small base stations" is used outdoors, it is inevitably exposed to the sun. Sunlight is not conducive to heat dissipation, so it is necessary to install sunshades

[11] that can prevent sun exposure on the top surface of the pipeline that can be exposed to the sun and the three sunny sides of the east, south and west. The sunshades on the upward air pipe [2], the horizontal pipe [3] and the downward air pipe [4] are attached to the outer periphery of the pipeline to block the sun without blocking the wind and without contacting the pipeline; and the sunshade of the finned tube radiator [5] lying on the top of the cabinet is installed on the bracket [9] on the top of the cabinet, slightly away from the heat dissipation pipeline, and not in contact with the heat dissipation pipeline, so as to avoid the heat generated by the sun from being transferred to the heat dissipation pipeline. In order to provide both sunshade and windproof, so as to facilitate heat dissipation, the sunshade can be divided into multiple strips, which are independent of each other and staggered, with appropriate ventilation gaps between them. The sunshade on the bracket [9] is preferably arranged in a vertical V shape to prevent the hot air from being blown onto the heat dissipation pipeline as much as possible. A suitable solar cell panel

[12] may be installed on the protective net

[10] or the sunshade

[11] , and a small fan

[13] equipped with a battery and a temperature control mechanism which does not affect natural ventilation may be installed near the air inlet [1] of the pipeline system. When the temperature difference between the inside and outside of the cabinet is small during the hot day, the small fan powered by solar energy may be automatically turned on to accelerate the circulation of gas, thereby enhancing the heat dissipation capability.

[0014] The small outdoor integrated base station uses the "cooling and energy-saving device used in the outdoor cabinet of the small base station" to achieve energy saving. It not only has a low one-time investment cost, but is also safe and reliable, does not require regular maintenance and subsequent investment, and is completely noise-free and pollution-free. Although it cannot completely replace the role of the air conditioner in hot weather, it can significantly reduce the working time of the air conditioner, save electricity for the air conditioner, and extend the service life of the air conditioner. As long as the temperature outside the cabinet is not higher than the temperature of the hot air inside the cabinet, this device can continue to operate automatically to play the role of energy saving and cooling. In addition, this device is installed on the cabinet, and the space it occupies is also above the cabinet, and does not occupy the horizontal area and space, and the total height is not very high, so it is very suitable for installation and use on narrow roadsides with limited horizontal areas.

[0015] This energy-saving device is suitable for use throughout the country. Even in the southern regions with relatively high temperatures, most of the time the temperature outside the cabinet is lower than the temperature of the hot air inside the cabinet. This cooling device can automatically play a cooling and energy-saving role.

[0016] (IV) Description of the drawings: Figure 1 This is a vertical schematic diagram of a "cooling and energy-saving device for a small base station outdoor cabinet" installed on an integrated base station outdoor cabinet. In order to highlight the theme, the sunshade on the front is not drawn here.

[0017] From number [1] through number [2], number [3], number [4], number [5], number [6], to number [7], it represents the path of the air in the cabinet circulating in the sealed duct of this cooling and energy-saving device.

[0018] Among them, number [1] indicates the air inlet of the duct device, which is also the air outlet opened on the upper part (top) of the cabinet; number [2] indicates the upward air pipe; number [3] indicates the top horizontal pipe; number [4] indicates the downward air pipe; number [5] indicates the finned tube radiator lying on the top surface of the cabinet; number [6] indicates the downward return air pipe; number [7] indicates the air outlet; number [8] indicates the cabinet. Number [9] indicates the bracket installed on the top surface of the cabinet [8]; number

[10] indicates the protective net between the bracket frames; number

[11] indicates the sunshade (the sunshade on the front of the bracket is not drawn); number

[12] indicates the solar panel attached to the sunshade on the side of the bracket. Number

[13] indicates a small fan equipped with a battery and a temperature control mechanism installed near the air inlet of the duct system.

[0019] (V) Specific implementation methods: Generally, the cabinet of the small base station can be designed and manufactured in general according to the schematic diagram of the attached drawings of the specification, and the cabinet of the existing small base station can also be retrofitted with an energy-saving device for installing a "cooling and energy-saving device for outdoor cabinets of small base stations". Compared with conventional cabinets, a cooling and energy-saving pipeline system is added. The sealed pipeline system used for the "cooling and energy-saving device for outdoor cabinets of small base stations" is composed of relatively light metal fin tubes (such as aluminum alloy fin tubes or stainless steel fin tubes) that are easy to transfer heat and have weather resistance, which are sealed together. It should be noted that the pipeline system of this device is in an airtight connection state from the air inlet [1] to the air outlet [7]. And the connection with the cabinet must also be sealed. That is to say, after the air in the cabinet enters the pipeline, during the entire circulation outside the cabinet, it will neither flow out from a certain gap nor flow in from a certain gap from the outside of the cabinet. Only when the entire pipeline system is sealed can it have an effective siphon effect and play an automatic circulation and cooling role.

[0020] Although the circulating ventilation system of this device does not directly communicate with the air outside the cabinet, it can exchange heat with the air outside the cabinet through the wall of the pipe device, especially the pipe wall and fins of the metal finned tube with a large contact area and high heat transfer capacity. Moreover, as long as the temperature outside the cabinet is lower than the temperature of the hot air above the cabinet, the hot air entering the pipe will automatically sink along the descending air pipe after heat exchange with the cooler air outside the cabinet and dissipate heat, and further dissipate heat and sink through the finned tube radiator placed on the top surface of the cabinet, and finally flow into the cabinet from the descending return air pipe and the air outlet. At the same time, the hot air above the cabinet will also automatically flow into the pipe of the heat dissipation device from the air inlet due to the chimney effect and siphon effect, and pass through the sealed upward air pipe, the top horizontal pipe, the downward air pipe and the finned tube radiator placed on the top surface of the cabinet in sequence. After sufficient heat dissipation, it will flow back into the cabinet through the return air pipe and the air outlet, forming a one-way circulation flow without reverse flow. In this circulation process, the hot air in the cabinet that flows into the duct system only exchanges heat with the cooler air outside the cabinet through the walls and fins of the duct. Since the air is enclosed by the duct during the entire heat exchange process and does not directly enter the air outside the cabinet, dust and other pollutants will not be brought into the cabinet. Since this circulation flow utilizes the laws of nature, relying on the rise and fall caused by the different specific gravity of hot air and cool air, and the natural ventilation formed by the siphon effect to achieve circulation flow, it does not require special energy supply, and there is no noise or pollution. In the hot summer, when the temperature outside the cabinet is higher than the temperature of the hot air above the cabinet, even if the hot air outside the cabinet heats the air in the duct outside the cabinet, since the air in the duct that is hotter than the hot air above the cabinet has a lighter specific gravity, it will not flow into the cabinet from the duct, will not cause the temperature inside the cabinet to rise further, and will not affect the cooling of the air conditioner under this state.

[0021] Brackets are installed at the four corners of the top of the cabinet. The brackets can support the pipeline system, and the protective net on the brackets can also protect the pipeline system. Sunshades that can both block the sun and provide ventilation are installed on the top and sides of the brackets like blinds. Solar panels of appropriate specifications can also be installed on the strip sunshades on the side to power a small fan equipped with a battery and a temperature control mechanism installed near the air inlet of the pipeline system.

Claims

1. A cooling and energy-saving device for an outdoor cabinet of a small base station, characterized in that The invention is installed on an outdoor cabinet [8] of a small base station, and starts from an air inlet [1] opened on the top or side of the cabinet [8]. The hot air in the upper space of the cabinet is transported through an upward air duct [2] that can produce a chimney effect, through a horizontal pipe [3] and a downward air duct [4], to the upper inlet of a finned tube radiator [5] disposed on the top of the cabinet [8], which has a multi-layer composite structure and each layer has two or three or more parallel finned tubes connected in parallel. After heat is dissipated by multiple finned tubes connected in series or in parallel and descending layer by layer, the hot air is then discharged from the lower outlet of the finned tube radiator [5], through the outer surface of the cabinet [8], downward, or from the top of the cabinet [8], to the lower part of the cabinet. The invention relates to a sealed pipe heat dissipation system, which comprises a downward return air duct [6] in the upper space of the cabinet [8] and an air outlet [7] of a pipe communicating with the lower space of the cabinet [8], to guide the heat-dissipated air into the lower space of the cabinet [8]; or the horizontal pipe [3] and the downward air duct [4] are omitted, and the hot air in the upper space of the cabinet [8] is directly transported to the upper inlet of the fin tube radiator [5] lying on the top of the cabinet [8] through an upward air duct [2], and then the air after the heat dissipation of the fin tube radiator [5] with a multi-layer composite structure is guided from the outlet below the fin tube radiator [5] through the downward return air duct [6] and the air outlet [7] of the pipe system into the lower space of the cabinet [8].

2. The cooling and energy-saving device for the outdoor cabinet of a small base station according to claim 1 is characterized in that Brackets [9] for fixing appropriate parts of the pipe system are installed at the four corners of the cabinet [8]. There are protective nets [10] between the frames of the brackets [9], and sunshades [11] are installed on the sunny side.

3. The cooling and energy-saving device for the outdoor cabinet of a small base station according to claim 1 is characterized in that A solar cell panel [12] is installed on the protective net [10] or the sunshade [11], and a small fan [13] which does not affect natural ventilation and is equipped with a battery and a temperature control mechanism is installed near the air inlet [1] of the duct system. The small fan can be turned on when the temperature difference between the inside and outside of the cabinet is small to accelerate the flow of air in the duct.

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