Tag: cabinet coolers

Benefits of Adding Thermostat Controls to Cabinet Coolers

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The image above shows a NEMA 4 Cabinet Cooler after years of use in a food production facility.  The head electrician at the facility which uses this unit, contacted me regarding the possibility of installing thermostat controls on a pre-installed Cabinet Cooler systems.  Apparently there are multiple EXAIR Cabinet Coolers in use around this facility, and as part of an improvement to compressed air efficiency, this facility wanted to explore automated regulation of the temperature in these enclosures (through thermostats). THis customer inquiry was about how to go about implementing such an upgrade.

It was refreshing for the end user to find that we have mechanical thermostat controls, solenoids, and even digital thermostatic solutions available from stock, making the upgrading process easy and pain-free.  After some conversations over the phone and emailing part numbers along with our Cabinet Cooler Installation and Maintenance Guide, which outlines how to install the thermostat for our Cabinet Cooler systems, this customer had everything required to do exactly what they needed in their facility.  (In this case, our model 9016 Solenoid Valve and Thermostat Kit met the voltage and compressed air flow requirements needed for the application.)

Providing efficient, controlled, and reliable solutions for industrial applications is all we do at EXAIR.  If you have an application in need of a complete solution, or just an upgrade, contact an EXAIR Application Engineer.  We’re happy to help.

Lee Evans
Application Engineer
LeeEvans@EXAIR.com
@EXAIR_LE

For the record, EXAIR recommends the use of 316 grade stainless steel Cabinet Coolers in food production facilities

Selecting the Right Cabinet Coolers with our Sizing Guide

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Selecting the proper Cabinet Cooler to solve your electrical panel overheating problems is simplified by using the Cabinet Cooler Sizing Guide and allowing EXAIR Application Engineers to calculate which Cabinet Cooler will be best. It is important to size Cabinet Coolers properly to ensure the most efficient cooler is chosen and the proper NEMA rating is chosen for your cabinet. This video illustrates how simple it is to gather the information for a long term solution to heat related problems.

Cabinet Coolers install in minutes, not hours. They protect your electronics from seasonal hot weather spikes, normally high temperature environments, or too much heat dissipation from electrical components in an enclosure. EXAIR’s selection of Cabinet Coolers include NEMA 12, 4 and 4X ratings. They normally operate with a thermostat control to turn themselves on and off as needed throughout the years and this is the most efficient way to run them. They are available from stock to solve your problem quickly and will fit nearly any environment with a variety of materials (Aluminum, 303 stainless steel or 316 stainless steel) and temperature ratings.

If you have any questions, please contact EXAIR.

Brian Bergmann
EXAIR Corporation
Ph. 1-800-903-9247 (U.S. & Canada)   1-513-671-3322
Email: brianbergmann@exair.com

 

Calculating and Choosing the Right Cabinet Coolers

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“I need one of your Cabinet Coolers for my control panel, the dimensions are 24″ H x 30″ W x 16″ D, what do you recommend?”. This is a very common inquiry we receive when discussing our Cabinet Cooler Systems for the first time with a potential customer. While it would be nice if it was a simple as using just the dimensions, there is more that goes in to making the proper selection.

Following explains how to go about calculating and choosing a Cabinet Cooler System. If, at any time, you prefer EXAIR to calculate and assist with your choice – contact our Application Engineering department and we will be happy to get you up and running.

Our Cabinet Coolers are sized by cooling capacity in Btu/hr., which range from our lowest of 275, up to our largest Dual System providing 5,600 Btu/hr. Now if you know the Watts loss , we can convert this over to Btu/hr. (Watts X 3.41 = Btu/hr.). If you are unsure, we need to determine the current heat load of the cabinet by using the dimensions, current temperatures (internal and external) and worst case external temperature and the desired temperature you are looking to maintain inside the enclosure. To simplify this process, we offer our Cabinet Cooler Sizing Guide.

Sizing Guide
EXAIR’s Cabinet Cooler Sizing Guide

The current internal and external temperature will determine one of your ΔT’s (temperature differential), which is used to determine a multiplier from the table below. We then take your maximum external temperature and your desired internal temperature to give us another ΔT and multiplier. Use the sq. ft. of the cabinet and multiplying it by the temperature conversion multipliers. Add these sums together to determine the total heat load in Btu/Hr. This value will help you to choose the proper Cabinet Cooler system to solve your heat problem.

Temp Conversion Table

Now that we have the heat load properly calculated, we need to know the NEMA class of the enclosure. We offer NEMA 12 for general use where there aren’t any corrosives or liquids present, NEMA 4 for wet or damp environments and NEMA 4X for wet, corrosive applications.

We offer Thermostatically Controlled Systems with available voltages of 120VAC, 240 VAC or 24VDC. This is the most efficient means of operation as the unit only operates when the internal desired temperature is exceeded. In addition, we also offer Continuous Operating Systems, providing constant cooling and positive pressure into the cabinet. Each system  includes a filter separator for the supply line to keep water and dirt from entering the cabinet as well as duct tubing.

Of course, if you need any additional assistance, you can always contact one of our application engineers. If you can provide a little bit of information, we can do the calculating and get you on your way.

Justin Nicholl
Application Engineer
justinnicholl@exair.com
@EXAIR_JN

Using EXAIR Cabinet Coolers to Replace Fans

Published on by Lee EvansLeave a comment
3050 with qs
Which device is causing the overheating condition?

When an electrical device mounted inside a control panel goes offline due to an overheating condition, it can be difficult to determine which component in the panel is the root cause.  There may be an intermittent heat load from a variable frequency drive that isn’t present when troubleshooting, making things appear to be OK.  Or, the overheating condition may only happen during peak operation on days with high ambient temperatures.

Fortunately, no matter the root cause, an EXAIR Cabinet Cooler can maintain temperature within the enclosure at a desired set-point, eliminating overheating conditions and lost throughput due to downtime.

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We investigate to determine what is housed inside of our customer’s electrical control panels.

When calculating heat load, EXAIR Application Engineers consider the components within the control panel.  We inquire with our customers regarding devices such as VFD’s, which may lead to temperature spikes, or fans, which actively remove heat (albeit that they often force dirt and debris into the enclosures they’re designed to be cooling).

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To accurately calculate heat load, we require the diameter of any fans installed on the enclosure.

Fans can be particularly important, because with the installation of any EXAIR Cabinet Cooler, all external fans will need to be removed, and their openings will need to be sealed (internal fans can remain in place).  So, this means we have to account for any heat the fans may already be removing from the application, even if it isn’t enough to keep the enclosure cool.

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Measure any fans used to bring ambient air into the enclosure.

In order to determine the amount of heat a fan is removing from an application, we consider the diameter of the fan, which corresponds to a typical air flow volume in CFM (cubic feet per minute).  We then consider that 1 BTU/hr. is the amount of heat required to raise the temperature of one pound of water by 1 degree Fahrenheit, and it is also the amount of heat needed to raise/lower the temperature of one cubic foot of air by 1 degree Fahrenheit in one minute.  This means that for every CFM the fan is moving, we are reducing the temperature of the air by 1°F .  To put it another way, we remove 1 BTU/hr. for every °F * every CFM the fan is moving.

As an example, a 3″ fan will move 22 CFM.  In an enclosure with a current temperature differential of 15 degrees Fahrenheit, this fan is removing 330 BTU/hr.

15°F * 22 CFM = 330°F*CFM

15°F

 x 22 CFM X 1 Btu/hr = 330 Btu/hr

CFM °F

The fans holes should be covered up with sheet metal using rivets, caulk/sealant, duct tape or other ingenious methods you know of. But please cover and seal the cabinet as well as you can.

Using the Cabinet Cooler Sizing Guide and the experience of the EXAIR Application Engineers, we can accurately calculate heat load of an overheating electrical control panel.  When you need help with determining which Cabinet Cooler to use, contact an EXAIR Application Engineer.  We’re here to help.

Lee Evans
Application Engineer
LeeEvans@EXAIR.com
@EXAIR_LE