Cooled electronics system and method employing air-to-liquid heat exchange and bifurcated air flow

A method of cooling an electronics frame comprising:

• providing a cabinet encasing a frame, the frame including at least one electronics drawer containing at least one electronics component to be cooled, and having a front with an air inlet and a back with an air outlet for the ingress and egress of air flow across the at least one electronics drawer, the cabinet comprising a front cover spaced from and positioned over the air inlet in the front of the frame, a back cover spaced from and positioned over the air outlet in the back of the frame, a first side air return at a first side of the frame and a second side air return at a second side of the frame;
• establishing air flow across the at least one electronics drawer of the frame employing at least one air moving device, wherein with egress of air flow through the air outlet of the frame, the air flow bifurcates at the back cover and returns to the air inlet of the frame via the first side air return, the second side air return and the front cover of the cabinet;
• and
• employing at least one air-to-liquid heat exchanger disposed within at least one of the cabinet and the frame for cooling the air flow across the at least one electronics drawer, and hence cooling of the at least one electronics component.