Tag: classifier area cabinet cooler

EXAIR Cabinet Coolers for Cooling Motor Control Centers

Published on by John BallLeave a comment

Motor Control Centers, or MCCs, are designed to protect motors and equipment in a single enclosure.  They help to start/stop electrical motors as well as protect them from over-voltage.  MCCs are used in many types of industries, like manufacturing plants, the oil and gas industry, water treatment facilities, and power generation companies. They are crucial for controlling pumps, compressors, fans, and other equipment powered by electric motors.  They can improve the efficiency of motors, increase safety, monitor the system for faults, and reduce down-time. 

A customer contacted me about their MCC as they were overheating.  They contained twelve direct starters to control 15KW motors.  The A/C panel cooler that they were using failed due to corrosion in the heat exchangers.  They wanted to try something different and more reliable as it was costly for replacement units.  Also, the shutdowns caused a loss in productivity.  They contacted EXAIR to see if we could help with our Cabinet Cooler Systems. 

EXAIR NEMA Type 4/4X Cabinet Cooler System

Cabinet Coolers are powered by an EXAIR Vortex Tube which only uses clean dry compressed air to generate cold air.  This phenomenon does not have any moving parts, no Freon to leak, or refrigerant compressors to fail.  So, they are very reliable for a long time.  We offer cooling capacities ranging from 275 BTU/hr (80 Watts) up to 5,600 BTU/hr (1,641 Watts) with different NEMA (IP) ratings.  These simple, but effective, cooling devices can be used in the toughest of environments.  They can quickly be installed and start cooling your electrical components in less than an hour. 

For the company above, they needed corrosion resistance to protect against the salty air from the sea.  EXAIR offers Cabinet Coolers in both 303SS and 316SS with NEMA 4X (IP66) protection.  They opted to get the highest corrosion resistance, which was 316SS.  They sent a list of electrical components inside, and I was able to calculate the internal heat load.  EXAIR has other methods to determine heat loads, like with our Cabinet Cooler Sizing Guide and Cabinet Cooler System Calculator.  I gathered some additional information about maximum temperatures, panel sizes, and external heat loads, and I was able to recommend a model 4880SS-316-240 Dual Cabinet Cooler System. 

This system includes a 316SS Cabinet Cooler that produces 5,600 BTU/hr (1,641 Watts) of cooling, NEMA 4X protection, a filter, a cold air distribution kit, a thermostat, and a 240Vac solenoid valve to turn off compressed air when cooling is not required.  Instead of replacing the A/C unit with another unit that would fail, they removed it and started using the EXAIR Cabinet Cooler System.  The ease of installation and temperature consistency made the company and maintenance crew very happy. 

EXAIR offers a variety of protection, materials, and hazardous and non-hazardous units in stock for quick delivery.  For our U.S. customers, we are offering a promotion.  You will receive an AC Sensor, a $76.00 value, for free as a promotional item from now until the end of August 2025 with qualified purchases.  How can you not give them a try?  If you are having trouble with electrical components over-heating, you can contact an Application Engineer at EXAIR.  The company above Motor Control Centers was glad that they did.

John Ball
Application Engineer
Email: johnball@exair.com
Twitter: @EXAIR_jb

Cabinet Coolers: How to Determine Heat Loads

Published on by John BallLeave a comment

As the weather starts warming up, electrical panels will start to feel the “heat”.  Freon-based coolers can be less effective in higher ambient conditions; and opening the electrical panels to have a fan blow inside creates a dangerous hazard.  The circuit industry states that for every 10oC rise above the operational temperature, the life of an electrical component is cut in half.  To reduce premature equipment failures and loss in production, it is important to keep electrical components cool.  The EXAIR Cabinet Cooler Systems are designed to do just that. 

To find the correct type and size, we need some information about your electrical panel.  EXAIR makes it easy with the Cabinet Cooler Sizing Guide.  This sheet goes over the important details to find heat loads, proper NEMA type, and options for easy installation.  With a filled-out form, we can make sure that the correct model is recommended.  First, we have to start with the surface area of the electrical panel.  From here, we can do some heat load calculations to compare it with the proper cooling capacity. 

To properly reduce the temperature internally, we need to calculate how much heat is being generated.  Heat loads come from four main areas; internal, external, fan, and solar.  From these four, we can add them together to get the total heat load.  So, on the hottest day of the hottest month, the EXAIR Cabinet Cooler System will still keep your electronics cool.  Here are some methods to find the information needed for heat load calculations.

Internal Heat Load:  The internal load is the heat generated from inside the electrical panel.  This heat is produced by the inefficiencies of electrical devices.  There are two main ways that we can figure out the internal heat load.

Step A: The simplest way is by hanging a piece of metal like a washer inside the panel for about 15 minutes.  We can get an average temperature inside.  In the sizing guide, you can mark the temperature next to “Internal temperature now”.  To calculate the heat load, we will also need the external temperature at the same time as you measured the piece of metal.  This temperature difference can determine the internal heat load per surface area of the panel.  See the chart below.

Step B:  if you know the electrical components inside that generate heat, a list can be made with volt/amp ratings, or watts.  This is very useful for new panels.  The major devices would be VFDs (Variable Frequency Drives), power supplies, UPS, transformers, thyristors, etc.  We can calculate the inefficiency of the electrical components which will give us the internal heat load. 

External Heat Load:  To keep the electronics cool on the hottest day, we will need to know the highest external temperature that the panel will see.  This can include the temperature that is near an oven.  This can be marked in the Max External Air Temperature Possible.  We can compare this to the Max Internal Air Temperature Desired.  Most electrical components are designed to operate at 95oF (35oC).   With the same chart as above, you can use the temperature difference to determine the external heat load per surface area of the panel.

Panel Fans:  To control the environment inside the electrical panels, we need to block all openings and vents.  And this will include removing panel fans.  The Cabinet Cooler System will blow dry cold air to push out the hot humid air from the electrical panel back through the Cabinet Cooler.  Since we are removing a “poor” cooling device like the panel fan, we still need to add this to the heat that is being removed.  You can either give the diameter of the fan or the flow of the fan. 

Solar Heat Load:  The solar heat is only needed if the panel is located outside without cover and exposed to sunlight.  For this type of heat load, we will need to know the color of the electrical panel.  Lighter colors will not absorb as much heat as darker colors.

EXAIR makes it easy to help correctly size the Cabinet Cooler.  We have the Cabinet Cooler Sizing Guide which you can submit to the Application Engineers to review.  And we have released the Cabinet Cooler System Calculator.  It will give you a quick recommendation to order online.  For our U.S. and Canadian customers, you will receive an AC Sensor for free, a $76.00 value, as a promotional item from now until the end of August 2025 with qualified purchases.  How can you not give them a try?  If you have any questions about Cabinet Coolers, the Sizing Guide or Calculator, you can contact an Application Engineer at EXAIR.  We will be happy to help you to keep your machines operating.

John Ball
Application Engineer
Email: johnball@exair.com
Twitter: @EXAIR_jb

Who Wants to Save on Compressed Air?

Published on by Al WooffittLeave a comment

At EXAIR we pride ourselves on helping our customers optimize their compressed air usage. Our intelligent compressed air products are engineered to be quiet and efficient, saving you on compressed air consumption. This is just one of the six steps that we recommend in order to optimize your compressed air system.

The first step we would recommend is to measure your air consumption. If you are going to attempt to reduce air consumption in your facility, it is necessary to know what is using it. If you know the consumption of your compressed air-operated products, you can make note of this. A more comprehensive solution would be to install some of our Digital Flowmeters in branch lines in your facility. The flow data provided by this will help you narrow down the high consumption areas and processes.

The second step we would suggest is to find and fix leaks. Our Ultrasonic Leak Detector is perfect for this. According to the Compressed Air and Gas Institute, leaks should not exceed 5-10% of your system’s air supply (we would obviously want 0%, but realistically this is unachievable). However, it is not uncommon to see leaks account for over 30% of many facilities’ compressed air supply being lost through leakage. That’s a potential for a 25% gain in compressed air supply!

The third step would be to upgrade your blowoff, cooling and drying operations using engineered compressed air products. All of EXAIR’s products, like our Super Air Knives, or Super Air Nozzles, are designed with efficiency in mind. Upgrading to an efficient EXAIR product is going to reduce your consumption, sometimes dramatically so!

The fourth step is to turn off your compressed air when not in use. This may sound obvious, but it is not uncommon for compressed air products to be left running continuously. We offer many solutions here, from a simple ball valve (found in many of our Drum Vac Kits), to a solenoid valve (found in our Cabinet Cooler Systems), to our Electronic Flow Controllers – combining a solenoid valve and photoelectric sensor.

The fifth step would be to use intermediate storage near the point of use. If you are controlling your compressed air usage through the use of valves and controls, then your consumption won’t be constant. This fluctuation in demand can be evened out with the use of secondary storage, like our Model 9500-60 Receiver Tank. This will ensure you have the volume and pressure when and where you need it.

Finally, our sixth step is to control the operating pressure. More specifically, to reduce the pressure to the minimum required to get the job done. Simply installing a pressure regulator at the point of use will lead to big savings.

If you would like to start optimizing your compressed air system, then give me a call!

Al Wooffitt
Application Engineer

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Twitter: @EXAIR_AW

ATEX Cabinet Cooler Systems Approved for Zone 2/22 Areas

Published on by John BallLeave a comment

EXAIR’s ATEX Cabinet Cooler® Systems deliver a powerful and affordable solution for keeping electrical enclosures cool in hazardous ATEX classified areas.  Engineered for use in Zones 2 and 22, these coolers are UL-tested, CE compliant, and meet stringent ATEX standards for purged and pressurized enclosures. 

As an overview, the ATEX Cabinet Coolers will require a purge and vent system on the electrical panel to keep their certification.  The purge system is designed to “flush” clean air inside the panel to remove any vapor or dust to produce a non-hazardous area prior to allowing electrical operations.  The maximum pressure is 8.6 bar, the maximum inlet air temperature is 45oC, and we stock cooling capacities from 1,000 BTU/hr to 5,600 BTU/hr (293 Watts to 1,642 Watts) in aluminum, 303SS, and 316SS materials.

We laser mark the ATEX number on the Cabinet Cooler for easy reference.  The ATEX nomenclature falls under the EN/IEC 60079-2 international standard for explosive zones.  It covers three zones in two hazardous materials: gas/liquid and dust.  The ATEX Cabinet Coolers can be used in Zone 2 for gas/liquid and Zone 22 for dust.  The ATEX terminology is as follows:

Gas – CE EX II 3 G Ex h IIC T3 Gc

Dust – CE EX II 3 D Ex h IIIC 200oC Dc

From these codes, it defines the equipment group and category, the environment, the protection, the group of materials, the temperature class, and the equipment protection level.  Most companies that have dealt with ATEX are familiar with these designations.  Just to give a slight overview, the CE EX is the ATEX protection through the European directive, CE.  The next symbol, II, is the Equipment Group, which refers to all locations except mines.  The fourth part would be the category and zone.  So, II 3 G would be Zone 2 for gas, and II 3 D would be Zone 22 for dust.   The Ex h is the protection principle and is used in the last section for the type of protection.  In conjunction with the Gc and the Dc, it designates a ventilator type of protection for explosive gas and dust. The remaining portion includes the type of gases or dust with temperature range.  The IIC T3 is for all gases that have an ignition temperature between 200oC and 300oC.   The IIIC 200oC is for conductive dust material with a maximum permissible surface temperature of 200oC. 

This would include industries like oil and gas, chemical processing, pharmaceutical, and food processing plants.  Designed for quick and easy installation, the ATEX Cabinet Cooler mounts through a standard electrical knockout and maintains NEMA 4/4X integrity even in demanding environments.  Optional thermostat controls reduce compressed air usage, while cold air distribution kits ensure even cooling throughout the electrical panel.  If you’d like to discuss any of the information above, EXAIR is staffed by Application Engineers who can be contacted by email, chat, and phone calls.    

John Ball
Application Engineer
Email: johnball@exair.com
Twitter: @EXAIR_jb