Modular liquid-cooled air conditioning system

In an improved modular air-conditioning system comprising a cabinet housing, blower module means adapted to transport air therethrough, and a cooling module means adapted to condition air passing therethrough, said blower module means and said cooling module means being flow connected, the improvement comprising:

• a. upper and lower framed blower and cooling modules, slidably mounted for insertion into either an upper or lower chamber of said cabinet housing;
• b. said framed cooling module comprising a compressor, condenser;
• evaporator, cooling coil, coolant, drip pan, and connections to exterior sources of power and cooling fluid;
• c. said framed blower module comprising a blower connected to a motor and connections to an external source of power;
• and
• d. said blower and said cooling modules being releasably connected to exterior sources of power or fluid for quick release from said chamber for repair or maintenance.

A modular liquid-cooled air conditioning system comprising:

• a. a housing means to contain system components;
• b. a releasably connected blower module means adapted to transport air therethrough;
• c. a releasably connected cooling module means adapted to change the temperature of air transported therethrough;
• d. said blower module means and said cooling module means being flow connected to allow for the transfer of air from the exterior, through an intake across said cooling module means through said blower module means and out to the exterior;
• and
• e. an internal circulating cooling means adapted to absorb heat from warm air entering said system, wherein said internal cooling means is in communication with an external cooling means, said external cooling means utilizes liquid coolant adapted to absorb heat from said internal cooling means, said heat being released to the exterior environment.

A method for cooling a structure with a modular air conditioning system having an exterior and an interior, comprising:

• a. providing a cabinet comprising:
• i. upper and lower module receiving chambers inside said cabinet in communication internally and externally of said housing;
• ii. an air intake opening in said cabinet in communication with said chamber and with said interior to draw warm air from an exterior space to an interior space for conditioning;
• iii. an exhaust opening in said cabinet, wherein said opening is flow connected with said upper and lower receiving chambers to allow expulsion of conditioned air from said interior to said exterior;
• b. placing framed, slidably mounted blower and cooling modules, releasably connected to external sources of power and liquid coolant within said chambers of said cabinet;
• c. causing warm air to be drawn into said system by blower means adapted for circulating air through said system;
• d. causing said warm air to contact said cooling unit whereupon heat is drawn from said warm air and absorbed by internal coolant material circulating inside said cooling module unit causing said warm air to quickly decrease in temperature;
• and
• e. causing the conditioned air to flow over the cooling unit toward the blower unit into the exhaust opening for expulsion to the external environment, surrounding said system.

A method for reducing maintenance-related downtime of an air conditioning system comprising:

• a. providing a modular air conditioning system adapted for quick interchange of component parts, said system comprising:
• i. a cabinet housing having upper and lower removable front access panels, said access panels covering upper and lower module receiving chambers;
• ii. a removable, slidably mounted framed blower module, said blower module releasably connected to an external source of power;
• and
• iii. a removable, slidably mounted framed cooling module, said cooling module releasably connected to external sources of cool liquid, and power;
• b. removing upper or lower front access panels from said cabinet through operation of releasable fixation devices, said fixation devices selected from the group consisting of screws, hex-nuts, butterfly-nuts, spring mounts, and combinations thereof;
• c. disconnecting system components contained within said blower module, said cooling module, or both from external sources of power and cool fluid through operation of releasable electrical, fluid or gas couplings;
• d. sliding said framed module containing inoperable system component from said receiving chamber;
• e. inserting a standby framed module containing a complete operational system into the chamber from which the defective module was removed;
• f. re-connecting internal system components to external sources of power and/or cooling fluid as required;
• and
• g. re-attaching said upper and/or said lower front cabinet cover.