Apparatus and method for facilitating cooling of an electronics system

A cooled electronics system comprising:

• an electronics system, the electronics system comprising:
• at least one electronics subsystem to be cooled;
• a system housing at least partially surrounding the at least one electronics subsystem, the system housing comprising an air inlet side and an air outlet side, the air inlet and air outlet sides respectively enabling ingress and egress of air;
• at least one air-moving device, the at least one air-moving device causing air to flow from the air inlet side of the system housing, across the at least one electronics subsystem to the air outlet side of the system housing;
• and
• an apparatus for facilitating cooling of the electronics system, the apparatus comprising:
• a vapor-compression heat exchange system comprising an evaporator housing and an evaporator disposed therein, the evaporator housing being coupled to a first side of the system housing and extending at least partially between the air inlet side and the air outlet side of the system housing, the evaporator housing comprising an air inlet opening and an air outlet opening, and wherein the vapor-compression heat exchange system further comprises a vapor-compression unit in fluid communication with the evaporator for exhausting heat from refrigerant circulating therethrough;
• a front cover and a back cover, the front cover being mounted to at least one of the system housing or the evaporator housing adjacent to the air inlet side of the system housing or the air outlet opening of the evaporator housing, and the back cover being mounted to at least one of the system housing or the evaporator housing adjacent to the air outlet side of the system housing or the air inlet opening of the evaporator housing, wherein the system housing, back cover, evaporator housing and front cover together facilitate establishing a closed loop airflow path passing through the air inlet and air outlet sides of the system housing and through the air inlet and air outlet openings of the evaporator housing, and wherein the vapor-compression heat exchange system at least partially cools air circulating through the closed loop airflow path, thereby facilitating cooling of the at least one electronics subsystem of the electronics system;
• and
• a condenser housing enclosing the vapor-compression unit, the condenser housing being mounted to a top side of the system housing, and wherein the vapor-compression unit comprises an air-to-liquid condenser heat exchanger and an air-moving device for establishing ambient airflow across the air-to-liquid condenser heat exchanger, wherein ambient airflow across the air-to-liquid condenser heat exchanger is outside the closed loop airflow path facilitated by the back cover, evaporator housing, front cover and system housing, and is from an air inlet side to an air outlet side of the condenser housing, and wherein the air inlet side of the condenser housing is in a plane parallel to the air inlet side of the system housing, and the air outlet side of the condenser housing is in a plane parallel to the air outlet side of the system housing.

A method of facilitating cooling an electronics system, the electronics system comprising a system housing containing at least one electronics subsystem to be air-cooled, the method comprising:

• obtaining a vapor-compression heat exchange system comprising an evaporator housing and an evaporator disposed therein, the evaporator housing being configured to couple to a first side of the system housing and extend at least partially between an air inlet side and an air outlet side of the system housing, the evaporator housing comprising an air inlet opening and an air outlet opening, wherein the vapor-compression heat exchange system further comprises a vapor-compression unit in fluid communication with the evaporator for exhausting heat from refrigerant circulating therethrough;
• mounting the evaporator housing to the first side of the system housing;
• obtaining a front cover and a back cover, the front cover being configured to cover an air inlet of the air inlet side of the system housing and the air outlet opening of the evaporator housing, and the back cover being configured to cover an air outlet of the air outlet side of the system housing and the air inlet opening of the evaporator housing;
• mounting the front cover to at least one of the system housing or the evaporator housing to cover the air inlet of the system housing and the air outlet opening of the evaporator housing, and mounting the back cover to at least one of the system housing or the evaporator housing to cover the air outlet of the system housing and the air inlet opening of the evaporator housing, the front cover defining an air inlet plenum and the back cover defining an air outlet plenum, the air inlet plenum directing air from the air outlet opening of the evaporator housing to the air inlet side of the system housing, and the air outlet plenum directing air from the air outlet of the system housing to the air inlet opening of the evaporator housing, wherein the system housing, back cover, evaporator housing and front cover together facilitate establishing a closed loop airflow path passing through the air inlet and air outlet sides of the system housing and through the air inlet and air outlet openings of the evaporator housing, and wherein when operational, the vapor-compression heat exchange system at least partially cools air circulating through the closed loop path, thereby facilitating cooling of the at least one electronics subsystem of the electronics system;
• and
• wherein the vapor-compression heat exchange system further comprises a condenser housing enclosing the vapor-compression unit, and wherein the method further comprises mounting the condenser housing to a top side of the system housing, the vapor-compression unit further comprising an air-to-liquid condenser heat exchanger and an air-moving device for establishing ambient airflow across the air-to-liquid condenser heat exchanger, wherein ambient airflow across the air-to-liquid condenser heat exchanger is outside the closed loop airflow path defined by the back cover, evaporator housing, front cover and system housing and is from an air inlet side to an air outlet side of the condenser housing, and wherein the air inlet side of the condenser housing is in a plane parallel to the air inlet side of the system housing, and the air outlet side of the condenser housing is in a plane parallel to the air outlet side of the system housing.