Tag: electrical enclosure

Cabinet Cooling with Thermostat Control and ETC

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An EXAIR Cabinet Cooler® System with either the Thermostat Control or the Electronic Temperature Control (ETC) option includes a temperature measuring device that is used to control the operation of the Cabinet Cooler System to maintain the set-point temperature.Thermostat and ETC

For most industrial enclosure cooling applications, a temperature of 95°F (35°C) is sufficient to be below the rated maximum operating temperature of the electrical components inside the cabinet. EXAIR Thermostats are preset to 95°F (35°C) and are adjustable. Maintaining the cabinet at 95°F (35°C) will keep the electronics cool and provide long life and reduced failures due to excessive heat. But if 95°F (35°C) is good, why not cool the cabinet to 70°F (21.1°C)?

When cooling an enclosure to a lower temperature, two things come into play that need to be considered. First, the amount of external heat load (the heat load caused by the environment) is increased. Using the table below, we can see the effect of cooling a cabinet to the lower temperature. For a 48″ x 36″ x 18″ cabinet, the surface area is 45 ft² (4.18 m²). If the ambient temperature is 105°F (40.55°C), we can find from the table the factors of 3.3 BTU/hr/ft² and 13.8 BTU/hr/ft² for the Temperature Differentials of 10°F (5.55°C) and 35°F (19.45°C). The factor is multiplied by the cabinet surface area to get the external heat load. The heat load values calculate to be 148.5 BTU/hr and 621 BTU/hr, a difference of 472.5 BTU/hr (119.1 kcal/hr)

External Heat Load

The extra external heat load of 472.5 BTU/hr (119.1 kcal/hr) will require the Cabinet Cooler System to run more often and for a longer duration to effectively remove the additional heat. This will increase, unnecessarily, the operating costs of the cooling operation.

The other factor that must be considered when cooling an enclosure to a lower temperature is that the Cabinet Cooler cooling capacity rating is effected. I won’t go into the detail in this blog, but note that a 1,000 BTU/hr Cabinet Cooler (rated for 95°F (35°C cooling) working to cool a cabinet down to 70°F (21.1°C) instead of 95°, has a reduced cooling capacity of 695 BTU/hr (174 kcal/hr).  The reduction is due to the cold air being able to absorb less heat as the air rises in temperature to 70°F instead of 95°F.

In summary – operating a Cabinet Cooler System at 95°F (35°C) provides a level cooling that will keep sensitive electronics cool and trouble-free, while using the least amount of compressed air possible.  Cooling to below this level will result in higher operation costs.

If you have questions about Cabinet Cooler Systems or any of the 15 different EXAIR Intelligent Compressed Air® Product lines, feel free to contact EXAIR and myself or any of our Application Engineers can help you determine the best solution.

Brian Bergmann
Application Engineer
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Special Cabinet Cooler Options – High Temperature, Non-Hazardous Purge and Type 316 Stainless Steel

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Recent blog discussions about the EXAIR Cabinet Cooler Systems have covered many topics including correctly sizing one, the NEMA ratings, and how-they-work.  In this blog I will review three special options that are available for the most extreme environmental conditions- high temperatures, dirty environments, and harsh or corrosive areas.

High Temperature – For enclosures that reside in high temperature ambient conditions such as near furnaces, boilers, or ovens, EXAIR offers a High Temp version, with special internal components designed to withstand the elevated temperatures.  Cabinets near sources of high heat certainly need to be kept cool, and the EXAIR High Temperature Cabinet Cooler is specially suited to for use in these locations.

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High Temperature Dual Cabinet Cooler System

Non-Hazardous Purge (NHP) – Cabinet Cooler Systems with this feature provide a continuous positive purge within the enclosure to prevent contaminants from entering through small holes or conduits.  Especially suited for dirty and dusty environments, the NHP Cabinet Cooler Systems provide a slight positive pressure inside the enclosure. This is done by passing 1 SCFM (28 SLPM) of air through the cooler when the the solenoid is in the closed position. When the thermostat reaches the set-point temperature and energizes the solenoid, the full line pressure of air is delivered to the Cabinet Cooler providing the full cooling capability, and still keeping the positive pressure.  When the internal temperature cools to the set-point, the solenoid closes and the system returns to the 1 SCFM (28 SLPM) of air flow condition.

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Non-Hazardous Purge Cabinet Cooler for Dirty, Dusty Environments

Type 316 Stainless Steel NEMA 4X Cabinet Coolers – For enclosures that are in food service, pharmaceutical, harsh, and/or corrosive environments, and any application where 316 stainless steel is preferred, the Cabinet Coolers are available in the Type 316 stainless material. The systems are UL Listed for wash down environments, ensuring the enclosure electrical contents remain cool and dry under any condition. Noted applications include on ocean going ships, power plants, medical device manufacturing facilities, and bakeries.

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Type 316 Stainless Steel NEMA 4X Cabinet Cooler System

Please note that the High Temperature, Non-Hazardous Purge and Type 316 Stainless Steel Cabinet Coolers are each available from stock!  No waiting for these special models.

To discuss your application and how a Cabinet Cooler System or any EXAIR Intelligent Compressed Air Product can improve your process, feel free to contact EXAIR, myself, or one of our other Application Engineers. We can help you determine the best solution!

Brian Bergmann
Application Engineer

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EXAIR’s Cabinet Coolers Solve Your Overheating Problems

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We here at EXAIR always know when summer is approaching, as phone calls and orders for the Cabinet Cooler Systems start to kick into high gear.  After those first few hot days in late spring, it is common for panels and electrical enclosures to overheat due to faulty air conditioning units, fans that are not working, or lack of a cooling system in general.

Time for us to sharpen our pencils and be ready to help! Our Cabinet Coolers are in stock and ready to solve your overheating problems with same day shipping on orders we receive by 3pm. If you need assistance choosing your Cabinet Cooler Solution, Contact an Application Engineer today!

The Cabinet Cooler System is a low cost, reliable way to cool and purge electronic control panels.  We recently hosted a Webinar on the systems, and it is available for review (click picture below)  webinar-on-demand

EXAIR Cabinet Coolers incorporate the vortex tube technology to produce cold air from compressed air, all with no moving parts.

Below shows the basics of how the Cabinet Cooler is able to provide cooling to an enclosure.  Compressed air enters the vortex tube based system, and (2) streams of air are created, one hot and one cold. The hot air is muffled and exhausted through the vortex tube exhaust.  The cold air is discharged into the cabinet through the Cold Air Distribution Kit and routed throughout the enclosure. The cold air absorbs heat from the cabinet, and the hotter air rises to the top of the cabinet where it exits to atmosphere under a slight pressure. Only the cool, clean, dry air enters the cabinet – no dirty, hot humid outside air is ever allowed into the cabinet!

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How the EXAIR Cabinet Cooler System Works

EXAIR offers Cabinet Cooler Systems for cabinets and enclosures to maintain a NEMA rating of NEMA 12 (dust tight, oil-tight), NEMA 4 (dust tight, oil-tight, splash resistant, indoor/outdoor service) and NEMA 4X (same as NEMA 4, but constructed of stainless steel for food service and corrosive environments.

Cabinet Cooler Systems can be configured to run in a Continuous Operation or with Thermostat control. Thermostat control is the most efficient way to operate a Cabinet Cooler.  They save air by activating the cooler only when the internal temperature reaches the preset level, and are the best option when fluctuating heat loads are caused by environmental or seasonal changes. The thermostat is preset at 95°F (35°C) and is easily adjusted.

Another option is the ETC Electronic Temperature Control, a digital temperature control unit for precise setting and monitoring of enclosure conditions. An LED readout displays the internal temperature, and the use of quick response thermocouple provides real time, accurate measurements. The controller has easy to use buttons to raise or lower the desired cabinet temperature set-point.

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EXAIR NEMA 4X 316SS Cabinet Cooler System with Electronic Temperature Control installed on control panel in a pharmaceutical plant.

 

Other Special Cabinet Cooler considerations are:

  • High Temperature –  for ambient temperatures of 125°F to 200 °F – for use near furnaces, ovens, etc.
  • Non-Hazardous Purge – ideal for dirty areas where contaminants might normally pass through small holes or conduits. A small amount of air (1 SCFM) is passed through the cooler when the solenoid is in the closed position, providing a slight positive pressure within the cabinet.
  • Type 316 Stainless Steel – suitable for food service, pharmaceutical, and harsh and corrosive environments.

If you have any questions about Cabinet Coolers or any of the EXAIR Intelligent Compressed Air® Products, feel free to contact EXAIR and myself or one of our Application Engineers can help you determine the best solution.

Brian Bergmann
Application Engineer

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Expand Flexibility of Cabinet Coolers with Side Mount Kits

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Last week I wrote about the Thermostat Options for Smart Cooling utilizing the EXAIR Cabinet Cooler Systems.  You can see read that blog post here.  Today we will touch base on the Side Mount Kits as an option to expand the flexibility for the installation and operation.

Sometimes there isn’t room above an electrical panel to fit the Cabinet Cooler, even though it takes just 5″ to 7.25″ of space above. In these cases, the Side Mount Kit is available to handle any of the Cabinet Cooler sizes and NEMA ratings. EXAIR offers (6) models of Side Mount Kits –

  • Model 4909 – For NEMA 12 Cabinet Coolers up to 550 BTU.hr (139 Kcal/hr), Aluminum construction
  • Model 4910 – For NEMA 12 Cabinet Coolers , 650 BTU//hr (165 Kcal/hr) and higher, Aluminum construction
  • Model 4906 – For NEMA 4 and 4X Cabinet Coolers up to 550 BTU/hr (139 Kcal/hr), Type 303 Stainless Steel
  • Model 4907 – For NEMA 4 and 4X Cabinet Coolers, 650 BTU/hr (165 Kcal/hr) and higher, Type 303 Stainless Steel
  • Model 4906-316 – For NEMA 4 and 4X Cabinet Coolers up to 550 BTU/hr (139 Kcal/hr), Type 316 Stainless Steel
  • Model 4907-316 – For NEMA 4 and 4X Cabinet Coolers, 650 BTU/hr (165 Kcal/hr) and higher, Type 316 Stainless Steel

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The NEMA 4 and 4X Cabinet Coolers must be mounted vertically for the unit to properly resist the ingress of liquids and maintain the integrity of the cabinet NEMA rating.

The Side Mount Kits install into a standard electrical knockout (1-1/2 NPS) for easy installation.

If you have any questions about the Side Mount Kits, Cabinet Coolers and/or Thermostat Options or any of the EXAIR Intelligent Compressed Air® Products, feel free to contact EXAIR and myself or one of our Application Engineers can help you determine the best solution.

Brian Bergmann
Application Engineer

Send me an email
Find us on the Web 
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Twitter: @EXAIR_BB