Tag: vortex tube cooling

Adjustable Spot Cooler Keeps Rollers Rolling

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A manufacturer of automotive power transmission shafts was experiencing frequent failure of high pressure plastic rollers on their spin tester.  There are four rollers in a 90° array that center the shaft during spin testing.  They exert a pressure of around 1,500psi onto the shaft while it’s rotating at 1,000rpm.  This generates enough heat to actually melt the rubber coating on rollers, which means stopping testing (which holds up production) while they change out the rollers.  Just for it to start all over again.

This, of course, was an ideal application for a Vortex Tube cooling solution.  They wanted to aim the cold air flow from the dual points of two Model 3925 Adjustable Spot Cooler Systems at four points of the shaft, right where it starts to contact the rollers.

Model 3925 Adjustable Spot Cooler System has a Dual Outlet Hose Kit for distribution of cold air flow to two points.

Thing was, they wanted to mount the Adjustable Spot Coolers where they could have access to the Temperature Control Valve, but the cold air Hose Kit wouldn’t reach the shaft.  So they got a couple of extra sections of the cold air hose…they needed one section of the ‘main’ (shown circled in blue, below) to reach into the test rig’s shroud, and two sections of the ‘branch’ (circled in green) to reach to each roller.

If you need a little extra reach from an Adjustable Spot Cooler or a Cold Gun, the cold air hose segments snap together, and apart, for any length you need.

Now, adding too much hose length will start to put line loss on the cold air flow, and it will pick up heat from the environment.  But if you just need that extra foot of hose to get the job done, this generally works just fine.  The extra foot or so they’ve added (5″ to the main and 6″ to each branch) has solved their problem…they haven’t had to replace a roller since the Adjustable Spot Cooler Systems were installed.

If you’d like to find out more about how EXAIR Vortex Tubes & Spot Cooling Products can prevent heat damage in your operation, give me a call.

Russ Bowman
Application Engineer
EXAIR Corporation
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Opportunities To Save On Compressed Air

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If you’re a regular reader of the EXAIR blog, you’re likely familiar with our:

EXAIR Six Steps To Optimizing Your Compressed Air System

This guideline is as comprehensive as you want it to be.  It’s been applied, in small & large facilities, as the framework for a formal set of procedures, followed in order, with the goal of large scale reductions in the costs associated with the operation of compressed air systems…and it works like a charm.  Others have “stepped” in and out, knowing already where some of their larger problems were – if you can actually hear or see evidence of leaks, your first step doesn’t necessarily have to be the installation of a Digital Flowmeter.

Here are some ways you may be able to “step” in and out to realize opportunities for savings on your use of compressed air:

  • Power:  I’m not saying you need to run out & buy a new compressor, but if yours is
    Recent advances have made significant improvements in efficiency.

    aging, requires more frequent maintenance, doesn’t have any particular energy efficiency ratings, etc…you might need to run out & buy a new compressor.  Or at least consult with a reputable air compressor dealer about power consumption.  You might not need to replace the whole compressor system if it can be retrofitted with more efficient controls.

  • Pressure: Not every use of your compressed air requires full header pressure.  In fact, sometimes it’s downright detrimental for the pressure to be too high.  Depending on the layout of your compressed air supply lines, your header pressure may be set a little higher than the load with the highest required pressure, and that’s OK.  If it’s significantly higher, intermediate storage (like EXAIR’s Model 9500-60 Receiver Tank, shown on the right) may be worth looking into.  Keep in mind, every 2psi increase in your header pressure means a 1% increase (approximately) in electric cost for your compressor operation.  Higher than needed pressures also increase wear and tear on pneumatic tools, and increase the chances of leaks developing.
  • Consumption:  Much like newer technologies in compressor design contribute to higher efficiency & lower electric power consumption, engineered compressed air products will use much less air than other methods.  A 1/4″ copper tube is more than capable of blowing chips & debris away from a machine tool chuck, but it’s going to use as much as 33 SCFM.  A Model 1100 Super Air Nozzle (shown on the right) can do the same job and use only 14 SCFM.  This one was installed directly on to the end of the copper tube, quickly and easily, with a compression fitting.
  • Leaks: These are part of your consumption, whether you like it or not.  And you shouldn’t like it, because they’re not doing anything for you, AND they’re costing you money.  Fix all the leaks you can…and you can fix them all.  Our Model 9061 Ultrasonic Leak Detector (right) can be critical to your efforts in finding these leaks, wherever they may be.
  • Pressure, part 2: Not every use of your compressed air requires full header pressure (seems I’ve heard that before?)  Controlling the pressure required for individual applications, at the point of use, keeps your header pressure where it needs to be.  All EXAIR Intelligent Compressed Air Product Kits come with a Pressure Regulator (like the one shown on the right) for this exact purpose.
  • All of our engineered Compressed Air Product Kits include a Filter Separator, like this one, for point-of-use removal of solid debris & moisture.

    Air Quality: Dirty air isn’t good for anything.  It’ll clog (and eventually foul) the inner workings of pneumatic valves, motors, and cylinders.  It’s particularly detrimental to the operation of engineered compressed air products…it can obstruct the flow of Air Knives & Air Nozzles, hamper the cooling capacity of Vortex Tubes & Spot Cooling Products, and limit the vacuum (& vacuum flow) capacity of Vacuum Generators, Line Vacs, and Air Amplifiers.

Everyone here at EXAIR Corporation wants you to get the most out of your compressed air use.  If you’d like to find out more, give me a call.

Russ Bowman
Application Engineer
EXAIR Corporation
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6 Primary Benefits of Cabinet Coolers (Vortex Tube Enclosure Coolers)

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First off, I want to dispel any notion that there might be something that’s NOT great about EXAIR Cabinet Cooler Systems.  Are there other methods to provide effective cooling to an electrical panel?  Of course there are, and frankly, if one particular method was clearly superior in any & every situation, the makers of that one would have put all the others out of business by now.  But for now, let’s consider:

1. Simplicity: Cabinet Cooler Systems need compressed air to work.  That’s it.  Supply them with clean, moisture free air, and they’ll run darn near indefinitely, maintenance free. What could be easier?

2. Control:  Continuous Operation systems have their place (more on that in a minute,) but in most cases, Thermostat Control is preferred, for a couple of reasons:

  • Most electrical and electronic components have a rated maximum operating temperature of 104°F (40°C).  Maintaining the air temperature at a reasonable level less than that is all you need…any lower, and you’re just wasting energy, no matter what method of cooling you use.  Our Thermostats are preset at 95°F (35°C) to ensure heat protection, while limiting operating costs.
  • There is such as thing as “too cold.” Particularly sensitive instrumentation & controls may exhibit varied behavior at different temperatures.
  • Our bimetallic probe-type thermostats are ideal for controlling air temperature.  They have much faster response time than other mechanical styles, meaning the system won’t keep running once it’s cool enough, and it starts running as soon as it starts getting too hot.  They’re also easy to reset, if the preset of 95°F (35°C) is not suitable for particular specific needs.
  • If constant monitoring, or frequent changes in control temperature are desired, the ETC Electronic Temperature Control offers these benefits, via a quick response thermocouple and pushbutton operation.

3. Environmental concerns: No matter where a panel is located in your plant, and what it might be exposed to, EXAIR Cabinet Cooler Systems will keep the environment out of that panel:

  • NEMA 12 Cabinet Cooler Systems are oil tight, dust tight, and rated for indoor duty.
  • NEMA 4 systems provide the same protection as NEMA 12, and are additionally splash resistant, and are rated for indoor/outdoor duty.
  • NEMA 4x systems offer NEMA 4 protection, and are made of stainless steel for corrosion resistance.
  • HazLoc Cabinet Coolers are UL Classified & CE Compliant.

    HazLoc Cabinet Cooler Systems also maintain NEMA 4 or 4X integrity, and are for use with classified enclosure purge & pressurization systems in hazardous locations:

    • Class I Div 1, Groups A, B, C and D
    • Class II Div 1, Grouds E, F and G
    • Class III

4. Dependable protection: In most cases, the less moving parts something has, the more reliable it is.  With NO moving parts, EXAIR Cabinet Cooler Systems absolutely prove this out:

  • Unlike refrigerant-based systems, there are no filters to clean, no coils to foul or corrode, and no electric motors to burn out.
  • No potential contaminants from outside air ever enter the enclosure…all the cold air comes from your compressed air supply, through an Automatic Drain Filter Separator fitted with a 5 micron particulate element and a centrifugal separator for moisture removal.

5. Selection:  Cooling capacities range from 275 Btu/hr to 5,600 Btu/hr, and they’re all in stock, ready for immediate shipment.

6. Special considerations:  “Customized” usually means high prices and long lead times. Not so for a number of EXAIR Cabinet Cooler System options:

  • This NEMA 4 Dual Cabinet Cooler System protects a critical equipment panel on a hot roll steel line.

    High Temperature systems are available from stock, for installation in areas where the ambient temperature can exceed 125°F (52°C,) all the way up to 200°F (93°C.)

  • Continuous Operation Systems aren’t the only way to constantly keep environmental contaminants out…Non-Hazardous Purge (NHP) systems combine the efficiency of Thermostat Control by always passing a small amount of air flow, to provide a slight positive pressure, even when the temperature is lower than the Thermostat set point.  This way, the Cabinet Cooler System only operates to maintain appropriate cooling, but the panel is still protected all the time.
  • When additional protection from harsh and corrosive environments is needed, or when specified by strict facility requirements (I’m looking at you, Food, Pharma, and Nuclear Plants,) our NEMA 4X Cabinet Cooler Systems can be provided in Type 316 Stainless Steel construction, from stock.

6.5 Simplicity, part 2:  Not only are they simple to operate…

  • They install, in minutes, through a standard knockout in the top of your enclosure.

    Side Mount Kits maintain NEMA 4/4X Splash Resistance.
  • If there’s no room on top, or if it’s just more practical, you can put them on the side of the panel using a Side Mount Kit.
  • Don’t know which one to pick, or need help determining your heat load?  Then use our Cabinet Cooler System Sizing Guide.  There’s one in the catalog that you can fill out and fax or email to us, or you can find it on our website under the “Features” tab on any Cabinet Cooler product page…just fill in the blanks and click “Submit.”  Or, you can always simply call in the data to an Application Engineer.  We can calculate your heat load in just a minute or so, and we do it over the phone all the time.

If you’d like to find out more about heat protection for your electrical or electronic panels, give me a call.

Russ Bowman
Application Engineer
EXAIR Corporation
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UL Classified Certification for HazLoc Cabinet Coolers

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Although history only records back so far, I am certain (based on my experiences with sharp and heavy objects) that humans have been injuring themselves with tools, and the stuff they make with them, since the beginning of time.  In fact, recorded history DOES bear this out…the famous Code of Hammurabi (circa 1750 B.C.) set specific amounts of compensation for specific injuries, as did laws from all over the ancient world, from the empires of Rome to China.  Since then, we’ve come a long way in regulating safety not only for the worker in the workplace, but in public places, homes, and workplaces where manufactured products are used.

UL LLC (or Underwriters Laboratories, as they were known throughout the 20th Century) is a safety consulting & certification company founded in 1894 by an electrical engineer named William Henry Merrill.  A year earlier, an insurance company hired Merrill to perform a risk assessment and investigation of new potential clients…George Westinghouse and Nikola Tesla, the proprietors of the Palace of Electricity at the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair.  It was this experience that made him realize the potential for such an agency to test and set standards for product safety at the dawn of a new age of technology development.  And 120 years on, the benefits in safety & protection have been proven many times over.

If a product or device carries one of these markings, it’s been evaluated for safety by top professionals in the field.

One of the more critical accreditations that a manufacturer can receive for a product is the UL Classified Mark.  This differs from other markings (like the ones shown above for Certified, Listed, or Recognized) in that Classification means that samples of the product were tested & evaluated with respect to certain properties of the product.

EXAIR’s new Hazardous Location Cabinet Cooler Systems bear the UL Classified Mark.  This means they meet the stringent UL requirements for installation on purged electrical enclosures in specific classified areas:

  • Class I Div 1, Groups A, B, C and D
  • Class II Div 1, Groups E, F and G
  • Class III
EXAIR Hazardous Location Cabinet Cooler Systems maintain NEMA 4/4X Integrity and are CE Compliant.

When choosing products for use in classified areas, it’s critical to ensure safety through compliance, and the HazLoc Cabinet Cooler Systems allow you to do that, with simplicity and reliability.  If you’d like to discuss an enclosure cooling application, in or out of a classified area, give me a call.

Russ Bowman
Application Engineer
EXAIR Corporation
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