Equipment enclosure with air diverter temperature control system

A method for controlling temperature in an equipment enclosure,

• said equipment enclosure comprising:
• an air exhaust opening disposed at an upper region of said equipment enclosure;
• an air intake opening disposed at a lower region of said equipment enclosure;
• an interior equipment chamber configured to house controlled temperature equipment at a controlled temperature equipment area therein;
• a temperature diverter system, said temperature diverter system comprising:
• a warm air exhaust subsystem operable to vent warm air collected at a top of said equipment enclosure through said air exhaust opening in order to cool said controlled temperature equipment area;
• a warm air circulation subsystem operable to circulate warm air collected at said top of said equipment enclosure to said controlled temperature equipment area in order to warm said controlled temperature equipment area;
• said temperature diverter system comprising either (1) a common air mover that is shared by said warm air exhaust subsystem and said warm air circulation subsystem, with said warm air exhaust subsystem comprising a first movable damper and said warm air circulation subsystem comprising a second movable damper, each said damper being mechanically connected to a damper motor implemented as a multi-position stepper motor that selectively positions said damper through a range of positions so that said warm air collected at said top of said equipment enclosure is selectively directed by said common air mover to said warm air exhaust system and said warm air circulation system, or (2) a first air mover for said warm air exhaust subsystem and a second air mover for said warm air circulation subsystem, said first air mover and said second air mover being controllable so that said warm air collected at said top of said equipment enclosure is selectively directed by said first air mover and said second air mover to said warm air exhaust system and said warm air circulation system;
• one or more temperature sensors;
• and
• a digital control subsystem implementing a control routine for controlling operations of said warm air exhaust subsystem and said warm air circulation system based on input from said one or more temperature sensors;
• said method comprising:
• obtaining a temperature measurement from a temperature sensor located in said controlled temperature equipment area;
• and
• controlling said warm air exhaust subsystem to vent warm air if said temperature measurement is too high and controlling said warm air circulation subsystem to circulate air to said controlled temperature area if said temperature measurement is too low.

An equipment enclosure, comprising:

• an air exhaust opening disposed at an upper region of said equipment enclosure;
• an air intake opening disposed at a lower region of said equipment enclosure;
• an interior equipment chamber configured to house controlled temperature equipment at a controlled temperature equipment area therein;
• warm air exhaust means for venting warm air collected at a top of said equipment enclosure through said air exhaust opening in order to cool said controlled temperature equipment area;
• warm air circulation means for circulating warm air collected at said top of said equipment enclosure to said controlled temperature equipment area in order to warm said controlled temperature equipment area;
• said warm air exhaust means and said warm air circulation means collectively comprising either (1) common air mover that is shared by said warm air exhaust means and said warm air circulation means, with said warm air exhaust means comprising a first movable damper and said warm air circulation means comprising a second movable damper, each said damper being mechanically connected to a damper motor implemented as a multi-position stepper motor that selectively positions said damper through a range of positions so that said warm air collected at said top of said equipment enclosure is selectively directed by said common air mover to said warm air exhaust means and said warm air circulation means, or (2) a first air mover for said warm air exhaust means and a second air mover for said warm air circulation means, said first air mover and said second air mover being controllable so that said warm air collected at said top of said equipment enclosure is selectively directed by said first air mover and said second air mover to said warm air exhaust means and said warm air circulation means;
• one or more temperature sensors;
• and
• digital control means for implementing a control routine for controlling operations of said warm air exhaust subsystem and said warm air circulation system based on input from said one or more temperature sensors.

An equipment enclosure, comprising:

• an interior equipment chamber;
• a temperature diverter system, said air diverter system comprising:
• a warm air receiver unit comprising a box-shaped plenum structure disposed at a warm air collecting area of said interior equipment chamber proximate to a closed top panel of said equipment enclosure;
• two warm air subsystems operable to direct warm air collected by said warm air receiver to two areas of said equipment enclosure in order to provide a desired warming or cooling effect;
• a first one of said warm air subsystems being a warm air exhaust system operable to vent warm air collected at said warm air collecting area through an air exhaust opening in a side panel of said equipment enclosure;
• a second one of said warm air subsystems being a warm air circulation system operable to vent warm air collected at said warm air collecting area to a controlled temperature equipment area in said equipment chamber where controlled temperature equipment is housed;
• said warm air subsystems collectively comprising a common air mover mounted at an upper air receiving port of said box-shaped plenum structure that forms an inlet of said warm air receiver unit, said box-shaped plenum structure further including a warm air exhaust port in fluid communication with said air exhaust opening, and a warm air circulation port in fluid communication with said controlled temperature equipment area, said warm air exhaust port and said warm air circulation port being disposed on opposite sides of said box-shaped plenum structure;
• said common air mover being shared by said warm air exhaust system and said warm air recirculation system and comprising a radial fan that draws air downwardly from said upper air receiving port into a central interior region of said box-shaped plenum structure, then redirects said air through an angle of approximately 90 degrees so that it flows radially outwardly toward said warm air exhaust discharge port and said warm air circulation discharge port, with said warm air exhaust system and said warm air circulation system each comprising a movable damper disposed within said box-shaped plenum structure and respectively disposed proximate to said warm air exhaust discharge port and said warm air circulation discharge port, each said damper being mechanically connected to a respective damper motor on said box-shaped plenum structure that selectively positions said damper through a range of positions so that said warm air collected at said warm air collecting area is selectively directed by said common air mover via said warm air exhaust discharge port to said exhaust opening and via said warm air circulation discharge port to said controlled temperature equipment area;
• and
• digital temperature control logic operable to implement a control routine to control operations of said warm air subsystems in order to selectively direct warm air to said exhaust opening and said controlled temperature equipment area.