Hazardous location cooling system and method for use thereof

Abstract

An embodiment includes a cooling unit, including: a housing configured to attach to an enclosure opening in a sealed manner, where the enclosure houses heat generating electrical equipment; the housing including: a first ambient side area including a compressor, condensing coils, and an ambient air intake and outlet; a first enclosure side area situated above the first ambient side area and including an electrical box that includes one or more relays and a digital controller; a second enclosure side area extending along the rear side of the housing and communicating with the first enclosure side area, including an impeller, an enclosure air intake, an enclosure air return, and evaporator coils in fluid communication with the condenser coils; and a second ambient side area including an impeller and one or more hot air exhausts; where all components of the cooling unit are non-sparking and non-arcing; and where the first and second ambient side areas are sealed off from the first and second enclosure side areas. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A cooling unit, comprising:
 a housing configured to attach to an enclosure opening in a sealed manner to form closed-loop cooling circulation between first and second enclosure side compartments of the housing and an interior of the enclosure, wherein the enclosure houses heat generating electrical equipment; 
 the housing comprising: 
 a first ambient side area compartment comprising a compressor, condensing coils, and an ambient air intakeand outlet; 
 a first enclosure side area compartment situated above the first ambient side area compartment and comprising an electrical box that includes one or more relays and a digital controller; 
 the first enclosure side compartment comprising a plate oriented horizontally that separates the first enclosure side compartment from the first ambient side compartment;  
 a second enclosure side area compartment extending along the a rear side of the housing, downward and parallel with the first ambient side compartment, and communicating with the first enclosure side area compartment, the second enclosure side compartment comprising a fan or an impeller, an enclosure air intake, an enclosure air return, and evaporator coils in fluid communication with the condensing coils; and 
 a second ambient side area compartment situated below the second enclosure side compartment and comprising a fan or an impeller and one or more hot air exhausts; 
 the first and second ambient side compartments communicating with one another;  
 wherein all components of the cooling unit are non-sparking and non-arcing and the first and second enclosure side areas compartments do not require purging of hazardous air; and 
 wherein the first and second ambient side areas compartments are sealed off from the first and second enclosure side areas compartments. 
 
     
     
       2. The cooling unit of  claim 1 , wherein one or more of the components of the electrical box are sealed, nonincendive, or solid-state devices. 
     
     
       3. The cooling unit of  claim 1 , wherein the first enclosure side area compartment comprises a first plate, which is a heat sink, onto which one or more components of the electrical box are attached, and wherein the first plate sits atop a second the plate that seals the first enclosure side area off from the first ambient side area oriented horizontally that separates the first enclosure side compartment from the first ambient side compartment. 
     
     
       4. The cooling unit of  claim 3 , wherein the first and second plates define plate is separated from the plate oriented horizontally that separates the first enclosure side compartment from the first ambient side compartment, forming an air gap into which enclosure air circulates from the enclosure air intake disposed in a vertical surface of the second enclosure side compartment. 
     
     
       5. The cooling unit of  claim 1 , wherein the housing is rectangular in shape. 
     
     
       6. The cooling unit of  claim 1 , comprising a filter positioned to filter air that transits through the ambient air intake. 
     
     
       7. The cooling unit of  claim 5 , wherein the rectangular housing is about 11 inches in width. 
     
     
       8. The cooling unit of  claim 7 , wherein the second enclosure side area compartment extends less than half of the depth of the rectangular housing. 
     
     
       9. The cooling unit of claim  7   5 , wherein the one or more hot air exhausts comprise three hot air exhausts positioned on the front, left and right sides of the rectangular housing. 
     
     
       10. The cooling unit of  claim 9 , comprising a diverter plate that attaches to any of the three hot air exhausts. 
     
     
       11. The cooling unit of  claim 1 , wherein the digital controller is disposed within a rear, enclosure facing surface of the housing. 
     
     
       12. The cooling unit of  claim 1 , wherein the second enclosure side area compartment comprises a water drain therein. 
     
     
       13. The cooling unit of  claim 12 , wherein the water drain is disposed in a bottom of the housing. 
     
     
       14. The cooling unit of  claim 13 , comprising a ball and drain tube situated in an assembly. 
     
     
       15. A method of installing a closed loop cooling unit on an enclosure for hazardous location cooling, comprising:
 attaching the cooling unit to the enclosure such that an enclosure side of the cooling unit conducts heated air from the enclosure over cooling coils disposed within an elongated, rear enclosure side area of the cooling unit, which faces the enclosure;   the attaching comprising arranging an enclosure air intake and return of a rear face of the elongated, rear enclosure side area to conduct heated air from the enclosure over the cooling coils; and   operating the cooling unit to conduct heated air from the enclosure over components of an electric box of an upper enclosure side area of the cooling unit having non-sparking, non-arcing components disposed therein;   wherein ambient side areas of the cooling unit are segregated from the elongated, rear enclosure side area and the upper enclosure side area of the cooling unit; and   wherein all components of the cooling unit are non-sparking and non-arcing, and do not require purging of hazardous air.   
     
     
       16. A cooling unit, comprising:
 a housing configured to attach to an enclosure opening in a sealed manner to form a closed loop cooling circulation between first and second enclosure compartments of the housing and an interior of the enclosure, wherein the enclosure houses heat generating electrical equipment;   the housing comprising:
 a first ambient side compartment comprising a compressor, condensing coils, and an ambient air intake; 
 a first enclosure side compartment situated above the first ambient side compartment and comprising an electrical box that includes one or more relays and a digital controller; 
 the first enclosure side compartment comprising a plate oriented horizontally that separates the first enclosure side compartment from the first ambient side compartment; 
 a second enclosure side compartment extending along a rear side of the housing, downward and parallel with the first ambient side compartment, and communicating with the first enclosure side compartment, the second enclosure side compartment comprising a fan or an impeller, an enclosure air intake, an enclosure air return, and evaporator coils in fluid communication with the condensing coils; 
 a second ambient side compartment situated below the second enclosure side compartment and comprising a fan or an impeller and hot air exhausts; and 
 diverter plates that reversibly attach to the hot air exhausts; 
   wherein:   the first and second ambient side compartments communicate with one another; and   the first and second ambient side compartments are sealed off from the first and second enclosure side compartments.   
     
     
       17. The cooling unit of  claim 16 , wherein the one or more hot air exhausts comprise three hot air exhausts positioned on a first, second and third sides of the housing. 
     
     
       18. The cooling unit of  claim 16 , comprising a connection for a purge tube. 
     
     
       19. The cooling unit of  claim 18 , wherein all components of the enclosure side area are non-sparking and non-arcing. 
     
     
       20. The cooling unit of  claim 16 , wherein the enclosure side area does not require purging of hazardous air. 
     
     
       21. A cooling unit, comprising:
 a housing configured to attach to an enclosure opening in a sealed manner to form a closed loop cooling circulation between first and second enclosure compartments of the housing and an interior of the enclosure, wherein the enclosure houses heat generating electrical equipment;   the housing comprising:
 a first ambient side compartment comprising a compressor, condensing coils, and an ambient air intake; 
 a first enclosure side compartment situated above the first ambient side compartment and comprising an electrical box that includes one or more relays and a digital controller; 
 the first enclosure side compartment comprising a plate oriented horizontally that separates the first enclosure side compartment from the first ambient side compartment; 
 a second enclosure side compartment extending along a rear side of the housing, downward and parallel with the first ambient side compartment, and communicating with the first enclosure side compartment, the second enclosure side compartment comprising a fan or an impeller, an enclosure air intake, an enclosure air return, and evaporator coils in fluid communication with the condensing coils; and 
 a second ambient side compartment situated below the second enclosure side compartment and comprising a fan or an impeller and one or more hot air exhausts; 
   wherein:   the first and second ambient side compartments communicate with one another;   the first and second ambient side compartments are sealed off from the first and second enclosure side compartments; and   the first enclosure side compartment comprises:
 a first plate, which is a heat sink, onto which one or more components of the electrical box are attached; 
   wherein the first plate sits atop the plate oriented horizontally that separates the first enclosure side compartment from the first ambient side compartment, defining an air gap aligned with a direction of enclosure air return into which enclosure air circulates.