Underfloor Distributor Cooling via Segmented Hood
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
High temperatures under the airtight hood in underfloor distributors for electrical and electronic devices can lead to power loss and component failure due to inadequate heat dissipation, especially in high occupancy telecommunications equipment.
Innovation Solution
A cooling system is integrated into the underfloor distributor, where a housing with a cold air chamber and separate chambers is attached to the hood, equipped with fans that draw in surrounding cold air and force it through the electronic components, effectively cooling them before the heated air exits the shaft through openings in the cover.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If electrical and electronic devices are arranged in an airtight hood under the floor, then protection against water ingress is improved, but heat dissipation deteriorates leading to high temperatures and component failure
Solution Approach 1:
The airtight hood is divided into a waterproof sealed section and a separate cooling chamber. The cooling system is segmented into cold air intake, fan-driven circulation, and heated air exhaust pathways, allowing independent optimization of waterproofing and thermal management functions.
Solution Approach 2:
A cooling system acts as an intermediary between the sealed airtight hood and the external environment. This intermediary system manages heat transfer through controlled air circulation, enabling the hood to remain sealed against water while effectively dissipating heat generated by electronic components.
2Temperature
If a cooling system is added to dissipate heat, then temperature control is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling system utilizes natural convection principles and strategically positioned fans that leverage the existing shaft structure and air flows. The system self-regulates by drawing cold air from the shaft environment and expelling heated air, reducing the need for complex external cooling infrastructure.
Solution Approach 2:
The cooling system serves multiple functions: it cools electronic components, manages condensation within the sealed hood, and maintains pressure differentials to prevent water ingress. By combining these functions into a single integrated system, overall device complexity is reduced compared to having separate systems for each function.
3Temperature
If fans are used to force cold air through electronic components, then cooling efficiency is improved, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses fans to force cold air through critical high-heat-generating components while allowing natural convection to handle less demanding areas. This partial action approach targets cooling resources where they are most needed, optimizing the balance between cooling efficiency and energy consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts fan operation parameters based on thermal conditions, using higher fan speeds when components require intensive cooling and lower speeds during normal operation. This parameter adjustment optimizes energy consumption while maintaining adequate cooling efficiency across varying operational loads.
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 system efficiently cools electrical and electronic components with minimal energy consumption, preventing overheating and component damage while maintaining protection against water ingress.
Implementation Method 1
At least one fan, preferably a plurality of fans, is preferably arranged in the cold-air chamber, which draws in cold incoming air, which originates from the area surrounding the shaft, into the cold-air chamber. The fan or fans force the cold air into the at least one separate chamber in which electrical and/or electronic devices are arranged, the cold air flowing through the at least one separate chamber under pressure cooling the electrical and/or electronic devices.
Implementation Method 2
The air heated in this way emerges from the separate chamber and further down from the hood and leaves the duct through openings in the at least one cover of the duct.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
The underground distribution box for electrical and/or electronic equipment, particularly for telecommunications, comprising a shaft that can be installed underground in the floor, which has at least one cover and an airtight hood that is pivotable upwards from a horizontal position in the shaft, in which the underside of the hood is open, to a vertical position, and in which the electrical and/or electronic equipment is arranged, is characterized in that a housing is attached in the hood, which has a cold air chamber and at least one further separate chamber, that cold supply air from the vicinity of the shaft flows into the cold air chamber, that the cold air chamber is in flow communication with the at least one further separate chamber, and that the electrical and/or electronic equipment is arranged in the at least one separate chamber.that at least one further chamber is traversed by pressurized cold air, which cools the electrical and/or electronic equipment, and that the air thus heated exits from the at least one further separate chamber and then from the bottom of the hood, leaving the shaft through openings in the at least one cover.