If you watched the Webinar we hosted recently (if not, Watch It here) then you know that the EXAIRCabinet Cooler System is an intelligent solution for electrical enclosure cooling. The use of a Thermostat Control system is a key component to a system that provides the needed cooling while keeping compressed air usage to a minimum. There are several choices available, and I will cover those for you today.
The thermostat control systems are the most effective way to operate a Cabinet Cooler. They work by activating the the cooler only when the internal temperature of the enclosure reaches a preset, critical level. Thermostat controlled cooler systems are the best option when a cabinet will experience fluctuating heat loads, caused by operational, environmental, and seasonal changes.
Cabinet Cooler Systems that are ordered from the factory with thermostat control include a solenoid valve and thermostat. The solenoid valve is available in 110-120VAC, 50/60 Hz, 240VAC, 50/60 Hz, and 24VDC and is UL Listed and CE and RoHS compliant. The thermostat is rated for 24V-240V AC or DC, 50/60 Hz and is UL Recognized and CSA Certified.
Solenoid Valves – 24 VDC, 110 VAC, and 240 VAC Available
The thermostat is factory set at 95°F (35°C). It will typically hold an internal cabinet temperature to +/- 2°F (1°C). The thermostat can be adjusted up or down if a different internal temperature is desired by turning the slotted temperature adjusting sleeve, with a 1/16 turn being approximately a 5°F change.
Thermostat
The solenoid and thermostat components are rated to match and maintain the Cabinet Cooler System and cabinet NEMA rating, and can be NEMA 12, NEMA 4 or NEMA 4X. A Thermostat Control can be added to an existing Continuous Operation Cabinet Cooler System, please consult the factory for help in selecting the right kit.
NEMA Type 4X Cabinet Cooler System, which includes the Solenoid Valve and Thermostat
If you have any questions about the Cabinet Coolers and 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.
Any realtor will tell you that the three most important factors in selecting a property are location, location, and location. This simply means that houses with similar features – number of bedrooms, yard size, structure, garage (or not,) basement or not,) etc. – can be found in a lot of very different neighborhoods. Whether you want to live somewhere that’s convenient to the highway, close to (or not so close to) work, near your favorite activities, etc., odds are you can find a house that meets your material needs & wants within those geographical confines. Hence, location is your #1 consideration. And your #2 and your #3 as well…my lovely bride is a real estate professional, so I have this on good authority. And, so you know, #4 is price, and #5 is condition.
Electrical and electronics controls professionals will tell you that three of the most important things to protect their equipment from are heat, moisture, and dust. If you’re looking for a durable, reliable, and low cost method for that, we’ve got the solution: the EXAIR Cabinet Cooler System. Selection of the right system comes down to determining your heat load, and…the reason for today’s blog…the LOCATION in which it will be installed.
Let’s say it’s a control panel for one of the machines on a factory production line…indoors & dry. Our NEMA 12 Cabinet Cooler Systems provide protection against dust and oil from entering the enclosure.
NEMA 12 Cabinet Cooler Systems are oil tight, dust tight, and rated for indoor duty. They can also be installed to the wall of an enclosure (instead of the top) with a Side Mount Kit.
If the enclosure is outdoors, or indoors but subject to water spray (like in a wash-down area,) our NEMA 4 Cabinet Cooler Systems are oil tight, dust tight, AND splash resistant. They ensure the inside of the enclosure stays dry through the use of a low pressure relief valve that seals when the cooler is not operating, maintaining NEMA 4 integrity at all times.
EXAIR NEMA Cabinet Cooler Systems provide additional protection to keep the enclosure dry inside.
Our NEMA 4X Cabinet Cooler Systems are made of stainless steel, and are commonly specified for food service area installations, and in corrosive environments. They’re also oil tight, dust tight, and splash resistant. These are also available in Type 316 Stainless Steel construction, for especially harsh conditions, or when this is otherwise specified due to the nature of the installation, such as critical food grade or pharmaceutical areas.
EXAIR NEMA 4X Cabinet Cooler Systems are made of corrosion resistant stainless steel for corrosive environments, and are also available with Side Mount Kits.
Regardless of the NEMA rating called for by the location, all EXAIR Cabinet Cooler Systems are available with a Non-Hazardous Purge option, which provides a slight positive pressure through a low (1 SCFM) air flow when internal temperature is below the thermostat setpoint and the solenoid valve is closed. This provides constant and reliable protection, even if the enclosure is not perfectly sealed, even in especially dirty or dusty environments.
All EXAIR Cabinet Cooler Systems are available with Non Hazardous Purge for constant, reliable protection from environmental contaminants.
High Temperature Cabinet Cooler Systems are also available when ambient temperatures can exceed 125F. These are popular in foundries, glass production facilities, and even non-air conditioned spaces in particularly warm climates.
High Temperature Cabinet Cooler Systems provide reliable heat protection in areas where ambient temperatures reach 125-200F (52-93C)
If you’ve got sensitive, mission-critical electrical or electronic enclosures that need reliable heat protection, EXAIR has the solution you’re looking for. If you know the required cooling capacity for your enclosure, you can select the right system directly from our website. If you’d like help in calculating your heat load, you can use our Cabinet Cooler System Sizing Guide…just fill in the blanks and click “submit” – your request will be forwarded to an Application Engineer for immediate attention. Or, if you’d rather, just give me a call. We calculate heat loads over the phone all the time; it only takes a minute.
Russ Bowman
Application Engineer
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Warmer temperatures are quickly approaching, which may seem like a welcome change for personal reasons, but in a processing line, the increased temperatures can wreak havoc on sensitive components found in an electrical control panel.
EXAIR Corporation will be hosting a FREE webinar titled “Intelligent Solutions for Electrical Enclosure Cooling” on May 23, 2018 at 2:00 PM EDT.
(click on the photo to register – it’s FREE!)
By attending this interactive session, you will learn the difference between the 3 most common NEMA ratings for electrical control panels found in an industrial setting, NEMA Type 12, 4 and 4X. We’ll provide examples of traditional, yet unreliable, methods of cooling and the concerns associated with using these types of devices.
Next we will explain how ignoring heat related issues can cause machines to shut down due to failed electrical components, resulting in lost production and increased maintenance costs, negatively affecting a company’s bottom line.
In closing, we’ll show how using an engineered, compressed air operated solution can reduce downtime by providing a low cost, maintenance-free way to cool and purge control panels with no moving parts.
A food and beverage company contacted EXAIR, as they were having some issues with their air conditioning panel coolers. The units were located near ovens and the ambient temperatures were elevated. During the summer months, the additional rise in temperature caused the air conditioning systems to under-perform. The electronics were overheating and shutting down, causing production stoppage. They needed a better way to keep the internal circuits cool during the hotter months.
The cooling capacities of the air conditioning panel coolers were over-sized to compensate for the high ambient conditions. With the finicky nature of Freon systems, 8,000 BTU/hr units were required. With the additional heat from summer, they had to continuously monitor and maintain the condenser units to keep them from running too hot. This caused unneeded strain to their maintenance department, as it took time away from their normal duties. They decided to contact EXAIR to see if our Cabinet Coolers could help in this situation.
Under normal conditions, refrigeration systems still have to be maintained by replacing filters, cleaning condensers, and checking compressors to prevent any failure. Under elevated ambient conditions, it is very difficult to keep the Freon cool enough to operate adequately and the refrigeration compressor from over-heating. EXAIR Cabinet Coolers do not use Freon or compressors to cool. They use the power of a Vortex Tube which only needs compressed air to generate cold air. With no moving parts to wear or unsafe chemicals to leak, they can keep the electrical components cool inside a panel for a very long time.
For sizing the EXAIR Cabinet Coolers, I needed some additional details. I sent them the Cabinet Cooler Sizing Guide to help me determine the correct cooling capacity. The information was as follows:
Height: 2200mm (87 inches)
Width: 800mm (31 inches)
Depth: 800mm (31 inches)
Internal heat load: 100 watts
Maximum Ambient: 70 deg. C (158 deg. F)
Required Internal Temp: 35 deg. C (95 deg. F)
NEMA Rating: NEMA 4X
Solenoid Voltage: 24Vdc
As an added note: they requested 316SS for anti-corrosion to be used for the Food and Beverage industry.
From my calculations, the ambient temperature was generating roughly 2,100 BTU/hr of heat on the external surface of the electrical cabinet. The internal heat load was 100 watts or 341 BTU/hr. Combining the values, the total heat load was 2,441 BTU/hr. For the air conditioning units, they had to over-size the units to 8.000 BTU/hr of cooling capacity to remove 2,441 BTU/hr of heat. This large difference is because of the high ambient conditions. The EXAIR Cabinet Coolers do not have Freon to keep cool; so, the need to over-size is not necessary. For the above electrical panels, I recommended a model HT4840SS-316-24VDC Cabinet Cooler System. The cooling capacity is 2.800 BTU/hr, and it will keep the electrical components cool to 35 deg. C (95 deg. F) even during the hotter months of summer.
EXAIR NEMA Type 4/4X Cabinet Cooler System
With the EXAIR Cabinet Cooler Systems, we can offer a variety of different options to accommodate different applications. For the food and beverage company above, the HT4840SS-316-24VDC was needed to meet the NEMA 4X rating of the panel and the 316SS construction for washdowns and corrosion resistance. The “HT” at the beginning of the model number is for the High Temperature option. This allows the Cabinet Cooler to operate in high ambient conditions between 52 deg. C to 93 deg. C (125 deg. F to 200 deg. F respectively). The system comes with a filter, cold air distribution kit, a thermostat and a solenoid valve. The thermostat is preset at 35 deg. C (95 deg. F) and operates the a 24Vdc solenoid valve to reduce compressed air consumption. EXAIR stocks many different sizes and options to help reduce any downtime. So, when an A/C system quits or an electrical panel faults out due to overheating, EXAIR can ship one out quickly to get the system up and running again.
If you have electrical panels over-heating or air conditioning units under-performing, you should try an EXAIR Cabinet Cooler. You can fill out the Cabinet Cooler Sizing Guide and an Application Engineer can determine the best model to keep your operations running; even during the summer months.
