Tag: panel a/c

The Cost Of Cooling Electrical Panels

Published on by Russ BowmanLeave a comment

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
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It’s Heating Up!!! EXAIR Cabinet Cooler Promo!!!

Published on by jasonkirbyLeave a comment

It’s that time of year again… Cabinet Cooler season!!! With the temperatures ramping up, so are our promotions! Now through the end of August, with the purchase of any Cabinet Cooler System, you will receive a free AC Sensor. The EXAIR Model 7929 AC Sensor offers a reliable method for non-contact verification of voltage presence. When voltage is detected, the sensor’s tip emits a bright red glow accompanied by an audible alert, ensuring users can easily confirm power to their electrical devices. This versatile tool is suitable for testing various components, including wall receptacles, switches, fuses, and junction boxes. Additionally, it can detect electricity through insulation, making it effective for identifying breaks in power cords and wires.

Now for the Cabinet Coolers!!! EXAIR’s Cabinet Cooler employs Vortex Tube technology to generate cold air from standard compressed air supplies, effectively keeping enclosures free from debris and moisture. Installation is straightforward, taking only minutes through a typical electrical knockout. The Cabinet Cooler Systems come with Nema 12 (IP54) ratings and are offered in various materials, including Aluminum, 303 Stainless Steel, and 316 Stainless Steel, suitable for Nema 4/4X (IP66) rated enclosures. For installations where top mounting is not feasible, Side Mount Kits in the same materials are available. This year, EXAIR has broadened its product range by introducing Hazardous Location Cabinet Coolers and ATEX Cabinet Coolers, catering to customers with specific ATEX compliance needs.

From right to left: Small NEMA 12, Large NEMA 12, Large NEMA 4X

These systems offer cooling capacities ranging from 275 to 5,600 Btu/hr. To simplify your selection process, we provide a Cabinet Cooler Sizing Guide that helps us recommend the most appropriate model for your cabinet. By taking a few quick measurements, we can accurately assess the heat load that needs to be managed and present you with a straightforward solution.

If you have questions about the EXAIR Cabinet Cooler Promo, or anything regarding EXAIR and our products, please do not hesitate to reach out.

Jason Kirby
Application Engineer
Email: jasonkirby@exair.com
Twitter: @EXAIR_jk

Critical Equipment Needs Reliable Heat Protection

Published on by Russ BowmanLeave a comment

Electricity and water don’t mix. Electrical and electronic components don’t like many contaminants that can be found in industrial settings, either. Exposure to moisture or dirt are surefire ways to “let the smoke out” – it can be just as bad as letting them overheat. Once that’s happened, replacement of the failed components is usually the only option. THAT can get expensive not only in the cost of the component, but also in the downtime waiting for it to come in…which can be a REAL problem if they’re not in stock.

Luckily, there’s no shortage of cooling devices for electrical panels. They all have certain areas/situations where they’ll work just fine, but most have areas/situations that can cause real problems:

Panel air conditioners work a lot like the a/c in your home or office, and if you’ve ever used window a/c units, they work EXACTLY like those. Since they cool the air as they recirculate it through the space, they have filters to catch any particulate. If the panel isn’t sealed tightly, this filter may very well require regular attention. They also use air from the surrounding environment to condense the hot refrigerant gas:

Evaporator: heat from inside air is transferred to a refrigerant, flashing it from liquid to gas.
Compressor: pressurizes low pressure refrigerant gas.
Condenser: transfers heat from hot, high pressure refrigerant gas to outside air.
Expansion valve: lowers pressure (and temperature) of condensed refrigerant, sending it to the evaporator to continue the heat transfer cycle.

If the condenser coils are exposed to contaminants (dust, oil, chemical vapors, etc.), they’ll be subject to fouling & corrosion, making panel air conditioners more prone to failure in more aggressive environments. Also, since they use air from the environment as a heat sink for the refrigerant, their cooling capacity is inversely affected by the ambient temperature.

Heat Pipe systems also use refrigerant, but they don’t have any moving parts to wear. Since they don’t have a compressor or expansion valve, though, they’re incapable of cooling the panel below ambient temperature. The evaporator fins or coils are also still subject to environmental contamination, so they have the same limitations as a panel a/c system…and are further limited in hot spaces.

Panel fans are easily the least expensive cooling method. They’re usually fitted with filters for the outside air that they move through the enclosure. Like heat pipes, they can’t cool the enclosure to a temperature below ambient for the area, and the filters are still subject to clogging from airborne particulate, and since those filters have to be coarse enough for the fan’s cooling air flow, smaller particulate can still make it inside the panel….along with any vapors or gases that could condense, or worse, corrode components inside the panel. If the fan on a home computer can get as dusty as the one in the photo to the left, imagine how much worse the one on a control panel on a factory floor can get.

Liquid to Air coolers use liquid – the most common being chilled water – for cold fluid flow through coils inside the panel to remove heat, which is then transferred to ambient through a refrigerant chiller, or a fan & radiator. The inside coils are subject to fouling and condensation if the panel isn’t sealed tightly, and the refrigerant chiller has the same limitations as a panel a/c unit. If it uses a fan & radiator, it (like panel fans or heat pipes) can’t cool the panel to less than ambient temperature in the area.

EXAIR Cabinet Coolers have no moving parts and use compressed air as the sole cooling medium, so they’re not affected at all by environmental conditions. When they’re properly installed on a sealed enclosure, the only thing the inside of the enclosure ever sees is clean, cold, moisture-free air. Wherever your panel is, and regardless of the environment, EXAIR has a wide selection of cooling capacities, features, and materials of construction. Consider:

  • Cooling capacities from 275 to 5,600 Btu/hr. Call me if your heat load is outside this range…we can look at customized solutions too.
  • NEMA 12 (IP54), NEMA 4, or NEMA 4X (IP66) ratings.
  • Thermostat Control – Standard, or Electronic Temperature Control.
  • Non-Hazardous Purge for contaminant exclusion on less-than-ideally sealed enclosures.
  • High Temperature models for ambient temperatures from 125°F (52°C) to 200°F (93°C).
  • Side Mount Kits where space is limited above the panel.
  • 316SS construction for particularly aggressive environments.
  • UL Classified systems for hazardous locations: Our HazLoc systems are approved for Class I Div 1, Class II Div 1 & Class III areas, and ATEX systems are approved for Zones 2 & 22.
Inside, outdoors, high temperature, dirt/dust/humidity, corrosive and classified environments are no problem for EXAIR Cabinet Cooler Systems

If you need heat protection for electrical/electronic panels, EXAIR has solutions. To find out more, give me a call.

Russ Bowman, CCASS

Application Engineer
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Electrical Panel Heat Protection: Limitations of Fan Cooling

Published on by Russ BowmanLeave a comment

In preparation for some labor-intensive outdoor projects, I did some research into heat-related health risks, and their prevention. My first thought on prevention was getting someone else to do it, but my wife made a good case for “pride in ownership”, and I DO have a good many tools suitable for these projects. Also, I am notoriously frugal, so after getting a couple of estimates, I realized the value in a little DIY (do it yourself) and commenced planning.

High on that list of risks was the possibility of heat stroke. It’s recommended that the victim be taken to a cool space (someplace air conditioned, for example). Air flow (like from a fan) can help too, but only if they’re taken someplace where the ambient temperature is less that 95F (35C). If it’s that hot, the air flow can actually make things worse, since heat transfer requires a difference in temperature. If the cooling medium (air, in this case) is the same temperature as the object to be cooled (the human body, in this case), no heat will be transferred – and the heat stroke wins. That’s a bad day in the back yard.

This is, in fact, the exact same limitation with a popular method of electrical panel cooling: fans. We’ve been using mechanical methods of imparting motion to air for cooling purposes for a long, long time: Blowing on a spoonful of soup or a cup of coffee before a warm (but not scalding) sip, waving hand fans at oneself during indoor gatherings, installing electric fans in those same buildings, and the list goes on. Fans are inexpensive to purchase & operate, come in a variety of sizes & configurations, and are oftentimes used to circulate cooling air through occupied rooms, confined spaces, and, of course, electrical & electronic panel enclosures.

These are quite effective for panels with moderate-to-high internal heat loads, as long as the ambient area temperature is less than the temperature you wish to cool the panel’s internal air to. In those situations, the only real concern is the quality of the air in the environment. As you can see in the photo to the right, filters are an absolute “must”, and they’re going to require regular maintenance. This means cleaning or replacing the filters, as well as cleaning the fan grills and blades themselves. It’s still very likely that some of that dust is going to get inside the enclosure, and while we’re on the subject of environmental contamination, so will humidity. I probably don’t need to tell you that dirt and/or water, and electricity, don’t mix.

There are other methods of cooling (panel a/c, thermoelectric coolers, water cooled heat exchangers, heat pipes, etc.) that limit environmental contamination, but they’re still going to need periodic (oftentimes frequent) attention: filters will clog, refrigerant coils will get fouled and corrode, moving parts will wear, motors & switches will burn out, etc. Even with the advances made in refrigerant technology, the leaks that panel a/c and heat pipes are prone to are still bad for the environment.

If this sounds like your environment, and you’re looking for safe, dependable, durable heat protection, look no further than EXAIR Cabinet Cooler Systems. Using the Vortex Tube phenomenon, they generate cold air from your compressed air supply, with no moving parts to wear or electric devices to burn out. Systems are on the shelf & ready to ship in cooling capacities to 5,600 Btu/hr. We also “tailor-make” systems for higher heat loads, from stock products, that can usually ship right away as well. Once installed on a sealed enclosure, the only thing the internals of that enclosure are ever exposed to again is clean, moisture free, cold air. All of our Cabinet Cooler Systems come with an Automatic Drain Filter Separator – the only preventive maintenance that’s ever required for the systems is the periodic replacement of the filter’s particulate element.

Inside, outdoors, high temperature, dirt/dust/humidity, corrosive and classified environments are no problem for EXAIR Cabinet Cooler Systems

We can quickly and accurately specify a Cabinet Cooler System to meet your needs with just a few key pieces of information – you can fill out a Sizing Guide (or complete one online) and send it in to us, or you can call an Application Engineer with the data. It only takes a minute to do the calculations, and we do them over the phone all the time. Installation is straightforward and usually only takes a matter of minutes. We have a number of short “how to” videos on our website that cover all aspects of installation, and if you ever have specific questions or concerns, an Application Engineer is a phone call away. We look forward to hearing from you!

Russ Bowman, CCASS

Application Engineer
EXAIR Corporation
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