Tag: sizing

Overheating Cabinets Are Bad. Cabinet Cooler Systems on Promotion Are Good!

Published on by Brian FarnoLeave a comment

In southwest Ohio we are currently experiencing 88°F. And we have begun to see increased numbers of inquiries for Cabinet Cooler Systems to keep control cabinets cool. This comes with the territory of approaching summer here in the northern hemisphere, and elsewhere it is due to new machines going into areas of a facility where it is constantly hot and dirty. It seems like the perfect time to offer up some free stuff with our Cabinet Cooler Promotion.

That’s right, order any of the Cabinet Cooler® Systems listed and receive a free A/C Sensor Pen. This pen has saved me from getting shocked many of times around my home.   Without it of course, I find myself guessing I turned the correct breaker off and, as soon as I touch the outlet I am working on I get hit with 110V. This sensor is helpful to locate the presence of voltage and avoid getting shocked.

We are here to assist your choice of Cabinet Cooler system and to provide a very fast solution to the downtime you are experiencing. We manufacture Cabinet Cooler systems from 275 Btu/Hr through 5600 Btu/Hr with NEMA 12, 4 and 4X integrity as well as Hazardous Location. If you don’t know what Cabinet Cooler System you need, take a look at our new Cabinet Cooler Calculator or the form below. It can be found on our site, get the information and call, fax, e-mail or live chat with an Application Engineer to get a quick and accurate response on what amount of cooling your system will need.

Sizing Guide

Over our thirty years in business we have also seen many companies who only experience a short span of seasonal heat and have found that 2000 Btu/Hr is enough refrigeration to offset summertime heat load, in most cases. Choosing a model with a thermostat control will turn the cooler on and off as needed and minimize compressed air use. Cabinet Cooler systems are in STOCK and ship same day for domestic and Canadian orders received by 3:00 pm EDT. We can get your cabinet cooled FAST and eliminate your heat related problems. Cabinet Cooler systems are shipped ready to install through a standard electrical knockout. There is no waiting for oil to settle back into the compressor motor, no mounting templates required or huge holes to cut into your cabinet. Cabinet Cooler systems have no moving parts to wear, making them rugged and lasting in your hot environment.

Brian Farno
Application Engineer
BrianFarno@EXAIR.com
@EXAIR_BF

Don’t Fall Victim To Undersized Piping

Published on by Brian FarnoLeave a comment

Pressure drops, incorrect plumbing, undersized piping, insufficient flow; if you hear these terms from tech support of your point of use compressed air products or from your maintenance staff when explaining why a process isn’t working then you may be a victim of improper compressed air piping selection.
Often time this is due to a continued expansion of an existing system that was designed around a decade old plan. It could also come from a simple misunderstanding of what size of piping is needed and so to save some costs, smaller was used. Nonetheless, if you can understand a small number of variables and what your system is going to be used for, you can ensure the correct piping is used. The variables that you will want to consider when selecting a piping size that will suit your need and give the ability to expand if needed are shown below.

  • Minimum Operating Pressure Allowed (psig) – Lowest pressure permitted by any demand side point of use product.
  • System Pressure (psig) – Safe operating pressure that will account for pressure drops.
  • Flow Rate (SCFM) of demand side (products needing the supplied compressed air)
  • Total Length of Piping System (feet)
  • Piping Cost ($)
  • Installation Cost ($)
  • Operational Hours ( hr.)
  • Electical Costs ($/kwh)
  • Project Life (years) – Is there a planned expansion?

An equation can be used to calculate the diameter of pipe required for a known flow rate and allowable pressure drop. The equation is shown below.

A = (144 x Q x Pa) / (V x 60 x (Pd + Pa)
Where:
A = Cross-Sectional are of the pipe bore. (sq. in.).
Q = Flow rate (cubic ft. / min of free air)
Pa = Prevailing atmospheric absolute pressure (psia)
Pd  = Compressor discharge gauge pressure (psig)
V = Design pipe velocity ( ft/sec)

If all of these variables are not known, there are also reference charts which will eliminate the variables needed to total flow rate required for the system, as well as the total length of the piping. The chart shown below was taken from EXAIR’s Knowledge Base.

Once the piping size is selected to meet the needs of the system the future potential of expansion should be taken into account and anticipated for. If no expansion is planned, simply take your length of pipe and start looking at your cost per foot and installation costs. If expansions are planned and known, consider supplying the equipment now and accounting for it if the additional capital expenditure is acceptable at this point.

The benefits to having properly sized compressed air lines for the entire facility and for the long-term expansion goals makes life easier. When production is increased, or when new machinery is added there is not a need to re-engineer the entire system in order to get enough capacity to that last machine. If the main compressed air system is undersized then optimal performance for the facility will never be achieved. By not taking the above variables into consideration or just using what is cheapest is simply setting the system up for failure and inefficiencies. All of these considerations lead to an optimized compressed air system which leads to a sustainable utility.

Brian Farno
Application Engineer
BrianFarno@EXAIR.com
@EXAIR_BF

Consider these Variables When Choosing Compressed Air Pipe Size

Published on by Brian FarnoLeave a comment

Here on the EXAIR blog we discuss pressure drops, correct plumbing, pipe sizing, and friction losses within your piping system from time to time.   We will generally even give recommendations on what size piping to use.  These are the variables that you will want to consider when selecting a piping size that will suit your need and give the ability to expand if needed.

The variables to know for a new piping run are as follows.

  • Flow Rate (SCFM) of demand side (products needing the supplied compressed air)
  • System Pressure (psig) – Safe operating pressure that will account for pressure drops.
  • Minimum Operating Pressure Allowed (psig) – Lowest pressure permitted by any demand side point of use product.
  • Total Length of Piping System (feet)
  • Piping Cost ($)
  • Installation Cost ($)
  • Operational Hours ( hr.)
  • Electical Costs ($/kwh)
  • Project Life (years) – Is there a planned expansion?

An equation can be used to calculate the diameter of pipe required for a known flow rate and allowable pressure drop.   The equation is shown below.

A = (144 x Q x Pa) / (V x 60 x (Pd + Pa)
Where:
A = Cross-Sectional are of the pipe bore. (sq. in.).
Q = Flow rate (cubic ft. / min of free air)
Pa = Prevailing atmospheric absolute pressure (psia)
Pd  = Compressor discharge gauge pressure (psig)
V = Design pipe velocity ( ft/sec)

If all of these variables are not known, there are also reference charts which will eliminate the variables needed to total flow rate required for the system, as well as the total length of the piping. The chart shown below was taken from EXAIR’s Knowledge Base.

Piping
Airflow Through 1/4″ Shed. 40 Pipe

Once the piping size is selected to meet the needs of the system the future potential of expansion should be taken into account and anticipated for.   If no expansion is planned, simply take your length of pipe and start looking at your cost per foot and installation costs.    If expansions are planned and known, consider supplying the equipment now and accounting for it if the additional capital expenditure is acceptable at this point.

The benefits to having properly sized compressed air lines for the entire facility and for the long term expansion goals makes life easier.   When production is increased, or when new machinery is added there is not a need to re-engineer the entire system in order to get enough capacity to that last machine.   If the main compressed air system is undersized then optimal performance for the facility will never be achieved.   By not taking the above variables into consideration or just using what is cheapest is simply setting the system up for failure and inefficiencies.   All of these considerations lead to an optimized compressed air system which leads to a sustainable utility.

Brian Farno
Application Engineer Manager
BrianFarno@EXAIR.com
@EXAIR_BF

Video Blog: Measuring Surface Temperature and Air Temperature Requires Different Tools

Published on by Brian FarnoLeave a comment

IR Temperature Guns are a great tool for measuring surface temperatures, but not the best solution for providing the air temperature data EXAIR needs to size a Cabinet Cooler system for your electronic cabinets. This brief video illustrates the differences between using an IR temp gun and a regular thermometer when gathering temperatures to determine Cabinet Cooler system specifications.

Make sure to print out the Cabinet Cooler Sizing Guide before you get started so you can easily fill in all the needed data.

Brian Farno
Application Engineer
BrianFarno@EXAIR.com
@EXAIR_BF