When an enclosure air conditioner on one of your electrical enclosures fails, you need to act quickly before the panel overheats. But what do you do when you cannot find or contact the original enclosure air conditioner supplier or, if you can, they are unable to supply a replacement quickly? What if the technology of your old enclosure air conditioner just isn’t stacking up? Continue reading
When you require enclosure cooling for your sensitive electronic equipment, dealing with the outdoor elements can complicate things slightly. Without the constant ambient environment present as in most indoor facilities or the shelter provided by the building to shield the enclosure from precipitation and other outdoor elements, the enclosure can be subjected to much more extreme conditions when placed outdoors. Here are some things to keep in mind when planning and designing your electrical enclosure cooling system to be located outdoors.
A NEMA type 4 or 4X closed loop cooling system will prevent any moisture from entering the enclosure during closed-door operation, and dirt and dust from the surroundings will also be kept out. Even so, any time the door is open for emergency repairs or routine maintenance, contaminants have an opportunity to enter the enclosure.
When constructing the enclosure, consider the prevailing wind direction, and orient the door away from the wind, so dirt and dust will not be blown directly into the enclosure. Also consider a secondary shield, such as a tarp or awning that can be erected around the enclosure when repairs will be performed. This way the enclosure will remain cleaner and drier when the door is open.
Enclosure air conditioners for use in the U.S. or Canada are required to meet certain safety standards. Although legal requirements governing the use of electrical equipment appear complex, certain compliance requirements are clear and universally applicable for electrical enclosure cooling equipment. The following seven compliance tips will help you ensure that your enclosure cooling systems comply with requirements. Continue reading
When you are looking for an efficient method for enclosure cooling, a heat exchanger is a good solution for a few different reasons. Not only is a heat exchanger energy efficient, but it allows you to maintain a completely closed loop enclosure cooling solution. The way a heat exchanger operates is by employing a heat pipe principle to exchange heat from an electrical enclosure to the outside. The waste heat is actually the engine that drives the system.
Years ago the use of electrical components made a move from “handy gadget” to “critical equipment.” Computer servers, hard drives, displays and controls all serve as the nerve center to many industries like telecommunications, transportation, manufacturing and elevator controls, just to name a few.
And while many forces can wreak havoc on these systems, the chief enemy is not a hacker or the weather, it is heat. Without question, installing the right enclosure air conditioners will add years to the lives of your systems and increase reliability. Enclosures are made to protect and secure the components they house, but without proper cooling, the lifespans of those components will be limited and security won’t mean much.
Thyristors and other solid state devices in variable frequency drives generate a significant amount of heat. These devices are mounted on heat sinks and use a chimney effect to draw cooler air from the bottom of the enclosure and discharge the hot air from the top. The amount of heat is directly related to the efficiency of the drive. This varies between 94 and 98 percent and, based on a 50 hp motor, generates between 0.75 and 2.25 kW of waste heat.
The removal of this heat necessitates cooling the electrical enclosure and in many circumstances the only viable method is the use of enclosure air conditioners. Here are 6 applications when enclosure air conditioners are recommended for variable speed drives.
If you want to extend the life of expensive electrical equipment and keep it running efficiently for years to come, you need to consider thermal management solutions that are reliable.
As you know, thermal management is becoming more and more critical as many components and control panels have higher heat loads than in the past. That heat needs to be dissipated properly and efficiently in order to maintain a reliable electrical system. When planning your next project, consider these thermal management solutions in your industrial electrical design plans:
Your electrical equipment needs to be sheltered from harsh environments and extreme conditions. Electrical enclosures do a great job of keeping the electronics shielded from contaminants, such as dirt or moisture. But what about the heat produced by the equipment themselves? Choosing the right cabinet cooling system will help decrease unplanned maintenance by keeping the equipment in proper operating conditions. Continue reading
When working with expensive electrical components in areas with extreme temperatures, having electrical enclosures that will protect your equipment from dust and dirt is important, but even more important is having cooling systems in place to keep the equipment at the proper temperature. High ambient temperatures can wreak havoc on electrical equipment that is not protected, so having a well-designed thermal management scheme in conjunction with each of your electrical enclosures will extend the life of your equipment. Thermal management involves not just selection and sizing of the proper cooling system, but accounting for factors that might impact cooling capacity. Continue reading
High power components can be divided into two groups, those that are electro-mechanical and those that are electronic. These devices are expected to handle a significant amount of power and generate a lot of heat. Typical applications where components generate high temperatures include motion control and downhole drilling. The heat generation of electronic components is well understood but it is easy to overlook the fact that electro-mechanical devices also generate substantial amounts of heat, especially as they get older. Continue reading