Compact heat exchanger and method

Abstract

A compact heat exchanger increases the cooling capacity within existing sizes of electronics cabinets. The heat exchanger includes a core having multiple thermally conductive members defining internal and external pathways. The internal pathways define inlets for receiving fluid from and outlets for passing fluid to the inside of the enclosure. The external pathways define inlets for receiving fluid from and outlets for passing fluid to the outside of the enclosure. The heat exchanger further includes an external pathway fluid driving mechanism coupled to the core in fluid flow relationship with the external pathways that causes fluid to flow in a first direction through the external pathways and an internal pathway fluid driving mechanism coupled to the core in fluid flow relationship with the internal pathways that causes fluid to flow in a second direction through the internal pathways in a manner facilitating heat exchange by the multiple thermally conductive members.

1 . A heat exchanger comprising: 
 a core configured to cool an enclosure;    multiple thermally conductive members disposed inside the core that define internal pathways and external pathways, the internal pathways defining inlets adapted to receive fluid from inside the enclosure and outlets adapted to pass fluid to inside the enclosure, the external pathways defining inlets adapted to receive fluid from outside the enclosure and outlets adapted to pass fluid to outside the enclosure;    an external pathway fluid driving mechanism coupled to the core in fluid flow relationship with the external pathways and causing fluid to flow in a first direction through the external pathways; and    an internal pathway fluid driving mechanism coupled to the core in fluid flow relationship with the internal pathways and causing fluid to flow in a second direction through the internal pathways in a manner to facilitate heat exchange by the multiple thermally conductive members.    
   
   
       2 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 1  wherein the fluid is air.  
   
   
       3 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 1  wherein the multiple thermally conductive members have a continuous surface.  
   
   
       4 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 1  wherein at least one of the multiple thermally conductive members has a surface defining fluid flow pathways between the internal pathways and the external pathways.  
   
   
       5 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 1  wherein the core is disposed in the enclosure in an arrangement defining a volume from which the internal pathway inlets receive fluid from inside the enclosure.  
   
   
       6 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 1  wherein the core is coupled to the enclosure outside of the enclosure.  
   
   
       7 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 1  wherein the core is disposed in the enclosure in an arrangement defining a first volume between the core and a first side internal to the enclosure and a second volume between the core and a second side internal to the enclosure.  
   
   
       8 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 1  wherein at least one of the fluid driving mechanisms comprises multiple fluid driving mechanisms.  
   
   
       9 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 8  wherein the fluid driving mechanisms comprise multiple internal fluid driving mechanisms and multiple external fluid driving mechanisms offset from each other.  
   
   
       10 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 1  further comprising plenums extending the internal pathways and external pathways to respective fluids inside and outside the enclosure.  
   
   
       11 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 1  further comprising grates in operational relationship with at least one of the internal or external pathways of the core, the grates causing fluid to flow through the internal pathways or the external pathways.  
   
   
       12 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 1  wherein the multiple thermally conductive members are adapted to self-assemble in a manner defining the inlets, outlets, internal pathways, and external pathways.  
   
   
       13 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 1  wherein the positions of the fluid driving mechanisms relative to respective pathways cause fluid flow in at least one of counter, cross, or diagonal directions.  
   
   
       14 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 1  wherein the fluid driving mechanism is a motorized impeller.  
   
   
       15 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 1  wherein the fluid driving mechanism is an axial fan.  
   
   
       16 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 1  wherein the fluid driving mechanism is positioned at the inlets, outlets, or combination thereof.  
   
   
       17 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 1  wherein the heat exchanger is used in an electronics cabinet.  
   
   
       18 . A method for cooling an enclosure, the method comprising: 
 causing fluid to flow in a first direction through external pathways of a core configured to cool an enclosure having multiple thermally conductive members disposed inside the core to define internal pathways and the external pathways, the internal pathways defining inlets adapted to receive fluid from inside the enclosure and outlets adapted to pass fluid to inside of the enclosure, the external pathways defining inlets adapted to receive fluid from outside the enclosure and outlets adapted to pass fluid to outside of the enclosure; and    causing fluid to flow in a second direction through the internal pathways of the core in a manner facilitating heat exchange by the multiple thermally conductive members.    
   
   
       19 . The method according to  claim 18  wherein the fluid is air.  
   
   
       20 . The method according to  claim 18  wherein causing fluids to flow includes causing the fluids to flow continuously from the inlets to the outlets.  
   
   
       21 . The method according to  claim 18  wherein causing fluids to flow includes causing fluid to flow between at least one of the internal pathways and at least one of the external pathways.  
   
   
       22 . The method according to  claim 18  wherein causing fluid to flow through the internal pathways of the core includes drawing the fluid from a first volume between the core and a first side of the cabinet and a second volume between the core and an opposing second side of the cabinet.  
   
   
       23 . The method according to  claim 18  wherein causing fluids to flow includes causing fluid in respective internal pathways and external pathways to flow in at least one of counter, cross, or diagonal directions.  
   
   
       24 . The method according to  claim 18  wherein the method is performed within an electronics cabinet.