Electricity generates heat — there’s no way around it — and heat is bad for electrical and electronic components. Studies show that an 18°F (10°C) rise in operating temperature will cut the average reliability of typical modern electronic components in half. If you’re concerned about the reliability of your equipment, it stands to reason that you should have that same level of concern for what’s protecting it.
Fans in the panel walls that pull outside air through are a cheap & easy way to provide a cooling airflow for the components inside. They work just fine as long as the fan is properly sized, AND the environment is clean enough (remember, anything in the air is going to get inside your panel), AND the ambient temperature doesn’t get too high. Filtering the air being pulled in can help with contamination, but you have to keep an eye on the filter to make sure it doesn’t get clogged. And, in humid areas, fans will draw that humidity (and the potential for condensation) right past all those current carrying devices.
Panel air conditioners are one of the most common methods when fan cooling won’t cut it for any of the above reasons. They solve the problem of humidity, but their cooling capacity is reduced by elevated ambient temperatures. Environmental contaminants can clog the filters and foul the coils, so keeping up on their cleaning & maintenance is crucial.
Heat exchanger type (air-to-air or air-to-water) panel coolers are also subject to failure if they’re not properly maintained. Air-to-water types rely on a refrigerant powered chiller for the water, which has the same drawbacks as a panel air conditioner. It just may not be in proximity to the panel.
Vortex Tube products, like EXAIR’s Cabinet Cooler Systems, have no moving parts to wear or electric motors to burn out. They just need a source of clean compressed air, and they’ll run darn near indefinitely, maintenance free. That’s really all you have to do to prevent their failure — and the failure of the electrical and electronic components in the panel they’re installed on.
Inside, outdoors, high temperature, dirt/dust/humidity, corrosive and classified environments are no problem for EXAIR Cabinet Cooler Systems
If you have an electrical panel with critical equipment in it, you’ve got a lot of options for heat protection. If you want the most durable & reliable method, you’re looking for an EXAIR Cabinet Cooler System. We can help get you the one you need with just a few key pieces of data. You can even use that data to select the right one yourself. If you’d like to find out more, give me a call.
Russ Bowman, CCASS
Application Engineer Visit us on the Web Follow me on Twitter Like us on Facebook
We’re in the dog days of summer (in the Northern Hemisphere) for sure…or, as we call it, “Cabinet Cooler Season.” If you’re having heat-related problems with a control panel, there are plenty of cooling options out there, but you’ll be hard-pressed to find one that’s as durable, reliable, available, and easy to install as an EXAIR Cabinet Cooler System. All we have to do is find the right one for your enclosure, and we have a couple of different ways to do that:
Cabinet Cooler Systems Sizing Guide: We’ve had this on our website, and in our catalog, for years now. We can also email you one, if you want to print it out & fill in the blanks. Then, you can either email it back, or you can call us with the data. It only takes a minute to do the calculations, and we do it over the phone all the time.
Cabinet Cooler System Calculator: This one’s for the do-it-yourself-ers, and it uses the exact same formulas that an Application Engineer will use if you submit a Sizing Guide. There are still some situations where you might need to contact us — if your enclosure is in an explosive environment, an area with a hazardous classification, or if the heat load is outside the parameters of our stock Cabinet Cooler Systems, the Calculator is going to politely decline to make a selection and refer you to an Application Engineer. Of course, if you have ANY questions about the application or the Cabinet Cooler products, don’t hesitate to call, even if the Calculator doesn’t make you.
Here’s what we’re going to ask for, and why:
Enclosure dimensions. To calculate the heat transfer surface area
Current Internal Air Temperature. This is the starting point for figuring out the internal heat load…how much heat the components inside the box is generating. This needs to be the air temperature – don’t use a heat gun, or you’re going to give me the surface temperature of something that may or may not be close to what I need. Just put a thermometer in there for a few minutes.
Current External Air Temperature. We’re going to compare this to the internal air temperature…the difference between the two is proportional to the heat load. Also, if there’s anything cooling the enclosure right now (like circulating fans; more on those in a minute), this reading is key to figuring out how much heat they’re removing.
Maximum External Air Temperature. How hot does it get in the area on, say, the hottest day of summer? We’ll need this to calculate the external heat load…how much heat the enclosure picks up from its surroundings.
Maximum Internal Temperature Desired. Most electrical and electronic component manufacturers publish a maximum operating temperature of 104F (40C) – it’s kind of an “industry standard.” Based on this, a lot of us in the enclosure cooling business set our products’ thermostats to 95F (35C) – if we’re maintaining the air temperature a decent amount cooler than the components are allowed to get, history and practice has shown that we’re going to provide more than adequate protection. If your enclosure houses something with more sensitive temperature limitations, though, we can work with that too…that’s the only time you’re going to want to put something other than 95F (35C) in this field.
Cabinet Rating. This is all about the environment…we offer three levels of protection, per NEMA standards:
The NEMA rating does not affect the cooling capacity at all.
Other: If the enclosure is mounted to the side of a machine, or a wall in the plant, you really don’t need to put anything there. If it’s outside and exposed to direct sunlight, tell us what the surface finish (i.e., polished metal, painted grey, etc.) is so that we can account for solar loading too. If anything else is unusual or peculiar about the application, let us know that too.
My Cabinet Is… Not Vented, Vented, Wall Mounted, Free Standing, Fan(s). We’ll use what you tell us here to verify the heat transfer surface (a wall-mounted cabinet’s back surface isn’t a radiative surface, for example.) Also, I mentioned fan cooling before, so without further ado…
Fan diameter or SCFM. If there are fans circulating air into (and/or out of) the enclosure, they’re providing a finite amount of cooling right now. Proper installation of a Cabinet Cooler System is going to require their removal. Running a Cabinet Cooler System on a vented enclosure is just like running your air conditioner with the windows open. So, if we know the size (or the SCFM…sometimes there’s a label on those fans, and we LOVE those folks who do that) then we can use that, and the temperatures you gave us above, to take the fan cooling into account.
Once we (or the Calculator) have that data, we’ll calculate the heat load & specify the right system. Easy as that.
Before I go…here’s a nice little video, walking you through the Cabinet Cooler Sizing Guide. Yes, I just made you read the book before watching the movie…feel free to tell me which one you liked better.
Cabinet Cooler Systems are in stock and available for same day shipment with an order received by 2pm EDT. If you have a panel that needs cooling, we can fix that right now…give me a call.
Russ Bowman, CCASS
Application Engineer Visit us on the Web Follow me on Twitter Like us on Facebook
I tell people all the time that I’m old enough to remember doing business before the internet, but I swear I don’t remember how we ever got anything done. In 1992, I was fresh out of the Navy, working on industrial & chemical pumps. I was looking for a part for a seriously old pump that I could not find a manual — or much information at all, really — for. Using the Thomas Registry (the big green books, not the website; remember, this was 1992), I was able to track down the company that bought the company that made the pump. They didn’t have records for the model number that was on the nameplate, but I came up with an ingenious plan: it was a small part, so I used the company’s brand-new color copier to make an image of it and faxed it in. Good news was, we got the part we needed. Bad news was, I NEVER got back in the good graces of the office manager, who caught me not only bringing a chunk of corroded metal into the office space, but putting it on the pristine platen glass of a brand-new copier. For the record, MY boss was the one who said it was “ingenious”, but he didn’t say it in front of the office manager, or he’d have been in the doghouse too.
Even though it was a success, all of that took the better part of a day. Today, it would probably take the better part of a minute to find the information I needed. I think about that repair often, especially when something comes along that makes life easier.
Case in point (and the subject of the new Press Release I’m writing this blog to bring to your attention): EXAIR has unveiled a redesigned website that delivers a more streamlined experience for engineers, maintenance professionals, and manufacturers searching for compressed air solutions. Featuring a modern look that reflects EXAIR’s updated brand identity, the new website makes it easier than ever to explore products, learn about applications, and find the right solution for virtually any industrial challenge. Built with performance and usability in mind, the site offers faster page loads, improved navigation, and a cleaner interface.
The redesigned website introduces several customer-focused enhancements that simplify the buying process, from research to check out. A streamlined shopping experience reduces the number of steps required to purchase products, allowing customers to move from product selection to checkout more quickly than ever before. Visitors can also browse new industry-specific pages featuring relevant product recommendations, application examples, and educational resources, making it easier for users to discover solutions designed specifically for their manufacturing environment. The site also offers ample opportunities to connect with EXAIR through catalog requests, newsletter signups, or speaking directly with Application Engineers to get answers for case-by-case manufacturing dilemmas.
EXAIR.com reinforces EXAIR’s commitment to providing customers with the tools and resources needed to solve industrial challenges efficiently. In addition, visitors have access to the application database, videos, CAD models, blogs, an extensive Knowledge Base, and direct support from EXAIR’s Application Engineers. Combined with enhanced site performance and an improved user experience, the redesigned website makes finding, selecting, and purchasing EXAIR solutions easier than ever. https://exair.co/newsite
Even today, I’d have almost certainly needed to pick up the phone to find the right person to get that obscure pump part. If you ever find that to be the case with your questions about using compressed air, give me a call.
Russ Bowman, CCASS
Application Engineer Visit us on the Web Follow me on Twitter Like us on Facebook
Heat, dirt, and moisture are natural enemies of electrical and electronic gear. Dirt and moisture are relatively easy to eliminate as dangers: just seal up the enclosure so they can’t get in. Heat, though, is a real “apex predator.” Whether the enclosure is sealed or not, the components inside will generate heat if they’re energized. And no matter what, the enclosure will get as hot as its surroundings in time, as long as the Second Law of Thermodynamics is in effect (spoiler alert: it’s immutable.)
So how do you keep the components in those panels cool? If the environment is clean enough and the temperature and humidity aren’t too high, fans can circulate cooling air from the environment through the panel. These are readily commercially available starting under $100.00, and generally won’t cost any more than about $50.00 a year in operating costs(electricity). If the environment is climate controlled and relatively free of contaminants, you can’t beat them. If you’re on a desktop computer, and it hasn’t burned out, there’s your proof.
Many, if not most, industrial panels, though, are in areas where fan cooling just won’t cut it. Not only will those aforementioned natural enemies like dirt & moisture be allowed in, they’ll be DRAGGED in. Luckily, modern technology presents us with a number of options, depending on the particulars of the environment. The following are some details on “the usual suspects”, and a table with total cost of ownership:
Panel air conditioners work on the refrigerant cycle and are capable of the highest cooling capacities of the methods detailed here. They’re also the most expensive, with a typical annual cost of over $1,100.00.
Aside from the high cost, they can be maintenance intensive and prone to failure, especially in dirty or oily environments. Their cooling capacity is also adversely affected by higher ambient temperatures.
Air-to-air heat exchangers transfer heat continuously through a sealed, hollow tube by vaporizing and condensing a refrigerant-type fluid. Instead of using compressors with electric motors and other mechanical components with lots of moving parts, they rely on capillary action to effect the phase changes. They can’t cool below ambient temperature, but they are the least expensive of these, coming in at around $370.00 in annual cost.
*Hot air (inside the panel) causes refrigerant in heat pipe to flash to a gas. *Cold air (from the environment) causes the refrigerant to condense to a liquid.
Liquid-to-air heat exchangers work an awful lot like a car radiator: they circulate liquid (usually a water/glycol mix, like anti-freeze) through a heat exchanger/heat sink inside the panel and then through a heat exchanger outside the panel. Like the fan and refrigerant-based coolers, their cooling performance drops as the ambient temperature rises, except for the ones that use chilled water. In facilities that already have chilled water, that might not be a big deal, but if you need one that comes with the chiller, they can get pretty expensive. And, you still have the maintenance & durability issues that come with any refrigerant-operated cooler. Liquid-to-air systems can run as low as ~$425.00 a year in total cost, for the ones that don’t need chilled water.
Thermoelectric coolers use the Peltier effect: when voltage is applied to two electrodes connected to a semiconductor, heat is transferred from one side to the other. Their compact design with no moving parts makes them popular for high-performance gaming computers (like the one my son spends WAY too much time on), small coolers (wine experts like them because they don’t cause any vibration which can affect the wine’s quality), and certain lab, medical, and laser cooling equipment. They have a limited cooling capacity, and because electric current generates heat, that gets added to the overall heat dissipation. The annual cost for these is around $950.00.
EXAIR Cabinet Cooler Systems can be installed in minutes, have no moving parts to wear, no electric motors to burn out, aren’t affected by environmental contaminants or humidity. In fact, of all the methods available for panel cooling, they have the widest range of where they can be used:
They do require an adequate supply of compressed air, which makes up the bulk of their total cost of ownership, which is around $410.00 a year.
I’ve mentioned cost of ownership several times, so I had better get to what that means: it’s the cost of the equipment itself and installation (spread across the effective life of the equipment), plus the annual maintenance & operating costs. Here’s a table with a comparison of the panel cooling options above:
If you have electrical or electronic panels that need heat protection RIGHT NOW, we can help. ALL of our systems are in stock and available for same-day shipment. We can even help out with determining which one is right for your needs with the information from our Sizing Guide, or you can do it yourself with our online calculator. If you want some help with it, give me a call.
Russ Bowman, CCASS
Application Engineer Visit us on the Web Follow me on Twitter Like us on Facebook
