A feasibility study of an innovative cooling technique for thermal management of outdoor electronic equipment enclosures is conducted. This technique is based on forced air cooling through the electronic enclosure which is mounted outdoors on top of a sealed hollow pole (Geopole) through which the air is circulated in a closed loop. This Geopole (TM) cooling technique features several potential advantages over existing techniques for cooling outdoor electronic enclosures. Because the pole is sealed from rain, dust, insects, and other contaminants, the air can be circulated in direct contact through sensitive electronic components such that internal forced convection can be used which eliminates the need for large (heavy) heat sinks on the outer surfaces of the enclosure leading to a significant reduction in weight of the enclosure. Another advantage is the location of the fan close to ground level which facilitates maintenance. A detailed thermal model of the Geopole is developed and parametric studies are conducted to evaluate the effects of important design parameters on thermal performance, The results obtained demonstrate that the Geopole technique is very promising as a cooling technique for outdoor electronic enclosures. These results provide a strong impetus for conducting further studies leading to design improvement of the Geopole technique for enhanced thermal performance. Copyright (c) 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
