| St.
Paul. MN - Cooling hot power amplifiers, base stations,
and other temperature-sensitive tele-communications equipment
with a liquid is many times more efficient than cooling
with air. But the potential for spills, which can damage
expensive equipment and disrupt service, is one of several
reasons why air cooling with rotary fans is currently
the prevailing method.
Although flush-face, non-spill couplers exist, the trade-off
for no spills is typically a restriction of cooling fluid
flow within the coupling. The valves, seals, and springs
that make a coupling non-spill physically block the path
and decrease the flow. |
So the use of liquid for cooling
has been more theory than reality in many telecommunications
applications. Engineers at Colder Products Co. believe
their new rack-and-panel non-spill (RPN) quick coupler
overcomes the flow restriction problem. "Valve design
is the key," say Grant Wilhelm, the product's design
engineer. "The size of the valve components is scaled
so that the flow area is balanced throughout the flow
path."
Cooling electronics in telecommunications equipment with
liquids is a technology that is just starting to emerge,
according to Wilhelm. "Electronics in these towers
do a lot more and create heat as never before," he
says. "The cooling problem is made worse by the fact
that more heat-generating equipment goes into these cabinets.
With air cooling, we are running out of T."
"The coupling is traditionally the weakest link
in the closed-loop electronic cooling system, limiting
the amount of flow and consequently, the amount of heat
removal possible, "says Wilhelm. "The RPN handles
a flow of 14 gpm of water at 31 psi pressure drop, Cv=2.5."
Unlike other non-spill couplers, which use existing valve
designs, the RPN coupler is designed from the ground up
with flush-face non-spill, closed-loop liquid cooling
applications in mind.
|
"We use high-tolerance, injection
molding for producing valve components that enhance flow
geometry." In telecommunications enclosure applications,
the Colder coupling mates when the circuit board and associated
cooling plate are installed in the data cabinet or rack.
The mechanism that holds the cold plate in place keeps
the coupling connected. Connecting such couplings when
installing the board assembly requires no additional steps.
And importantly, when removing the circuit board for
maintenance and replacement, the cooling system requires
no coolant draining, thereby decreasing any possibility
of spilling cooling media. Because the latching mechanism
is external to the coupler, the technician installing
and removing the boards is freed from special tools and
additional steps.
Other Applications:
• Medical equipment cooling
• Laser cooling
• Computer cooling |
