Outdoor UPS Cooling via Sealed Chamber and Heat Exchanger
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional outdoor uninterruptable power supply (UPS) systems require separate cooling units, leading to increased complexity and failure risks due to the need for large air conditioning or cooling systems.
Innovation Solution
An integrated cooling system for outdoor UPS, comprising two chambers and a heat exchange compartment, where the first chamber is pneumatically sealed and houses control electronics with a heat sink, and the second chamber is vented and houses transformers, utilizing a heat exchanger or air conditioner for cooling, along with fans and ducts to circulate air and remove heat.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional outdoor UPS systems use separate external cooling units, then the UPS can be cooled, but the system complexity increases and failure risk increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent integrates the cooling system directly into the UPS housing by incorporating a heat exchanger within the enclosure that is thermally coupled to the transformers. This merging of the cooling function into the main unit eliminates the need for separate external cooling equipment, thereby reducing system complexity and potential failure points while maintaining effective thermal management.
Solution Approach 2:
The UPS housing enclosure serves multiple functions: it provides structural support, electrical shielding, and integrated cooling through the incorporated heat exchanger. The heat exchanger itself serves dual purposes by being both a thermal management component and a structural element within the housing, reducing the need for additional dedicated cooling components.
2Temperature
If large external A/C or cooling units are used to cool the UPS, then the UPS can be cooled, but the device complexity and space requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The heat exchanger is nested within the UPS housing enclosure, with the transformers positioned to be in thermal communication with the heat exchanger. This nested arrangement allows the cooling function to be embedded within the existing structure, eliminating the need for separate external cooling units and reducing the overall space requirements while maintaining effective cooling.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If transformers are enclosed in a sealed chamber, then electrical shielding is improved, but heat dissipation becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The heat exchanger acts as an intermediary between the transformers and the external environment. It is positioned to receive heat from the transformers through thermal conduction while its external surfaces are designed to dissipate this heat to the surrounding air through convection and radiation, thus maintaining electrical shielding while enabling effective heat dissipation.
Solution Approach 2:
The housing enclosure incorporates localized thermal management features, including heat sinks and finned surfaces on the heat exchanger, concentrated at the regions where heat generation is highest. This local quality approach allows the sealed enclosure to maintain electrical shielding while providing targeted heat dissipation paths at critical locations.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The integrated cooling system effectively cools control electronics and transformers by dispersing heat to the outside environment, reducing the need for large external cooling units and enhancing system reliability.
Implementation Method 1
The first chamber comprises a heat sink coupled to the control electronics such that the heat sink is configured to cool the control electronics
Implementation Method 2
The heat exchange compartment comprises a heat exchanger or air conditioner which is in fluid communication with the first chamber such that the heat exchanger or air conditioner cools the first chamber
Implementation Method 3
The second chamber is in fluid communication with a fan via a wall of the chamber wherein the fan circulates air through the chamber and out the vents on the wall of the chamber
Data Source
AI summary
In accordance with presently disclosed embodiments, an uninterruptable power supply (UPS) is provided. The UPS utilizes two chambers, one which is pneumatically sealed to house control electronics, and one that is not sealed that houses transformers. The pneumatically sealed compartment is cooled through a heat exchanger or air conditioner as well as through a heat sink. The chamber which houses the transformers is cooled by a fan which circulates air from outside the chamber through the chamber and out vents in a wall of the chamber. The UPS may utilizes a series of ducts to direct air flow into the chamber housing the transformers in such a way that the air enters the bottom of the chamber past the control electronics and through vents near the front of the chamber. The UPS may utilize a series of ducts to direct air flow past the heat sink attached to the pneumatically sealed chamber.