Enclosure and cooling system for electronic equipment

A system for simultaneously air-conduction cooling and environmentally-isolating multiple electronics assemblies, comprising:

• a heat-exchanger assembly comprising a first thermally-conductive sheet and a second thermally-conductive sheet, the first and the second thermally-conductive sheets defining an environmentally-isolated common air-cooling channel therebetween, wherein the environmentally-isolated common air-cooling channel houses a fin core, the fin core formed from a plurality of thermally-conductive fins in contact with the first and the second thermally-conductive sheets;
• an enclosure enclosing the heat-exchanger assembly;
• an ambient air intake formed through the enclosure at a first end of the environmentally-isolated common air-cooling channel;
• an air filter disposed adjacent to the ambient air intake;
• an air exhaust formed through the enclosure at a second end of the common air-cooling channel;
• and
• an air mover disposed at the air exhaust, wherein:
• the first thermally-conductive sheet and the enclosure combine to define a first environmentally-sealed electronics compartment containing a first electronic assembly;
• the second thermally-conductive sheet and the enclosure combine to define a second environmentally-sealed electronics compartment containing a second electronic assembly;
• and
• the air mover generates a filtered airflow into the air intake, through the air filter, through the environmentally-isolated common air-cooling channel, and out the air exhaust, the filtered airflow fluidly isolated from the first and the second electronic assemblies.

A method of cooling an electronics enclosure, comprising:

• forming an environmentally-isolated common air-cooling channel through an interior of the electronics enclosure, the environmentally-isolated common air-cooling channel having an ambient air intake and an air exhaust and housing a fin core;
• sealing a first electronic assembly within a first electronics compartment on a first side of the environmentally-isolated common air-cooling channel, the first electronics compartment in thermal contact with the fin core;
• sealing a second electronic assembly within a second electronics compartment on a second side of the environmentally-isolated common air-cooling channel, the second electronics compartment in thermal contact with the fin core;
• disposing an air mover at the air exhaust;
• disposing an air filter between the ambient air intake and the environmentally-isolated common air-cooling channel;
• and
• moving a filtered airflow through the environmentally-isolated common air-cooling channel from the air intake, through the air filter, and to the air exhaust, thereby simultaneously removing heat generated within the first and the second electronics compartments to an exterior of the electronics enclosure and protecting the first electronic assembly, the second electronic assembly, and the fin core from contaminant exposure.