4 Thermal Management Solutions to Consider in Industrial Electrical Design
If you want to extend the life of expensive electrical equipment and keep it running efficiently for years to come, you need to consider thermal management solutions that are reliable.
As you know, thermal management is becoming more and more critical as many components and control panels have higher heat loads than in the past. That heat needs to be dissipated properly and efficiently in order to maintain a reliable electrical system. When planning your next project, consider these thermal management solutions in your industrial electrical design plans:
1. Fans
One of the oldest solutions employed for cooling an electrical system was natural ventilation boosted by cooling fans. This is likely what you’ve used in the past. Today, however, this solution often will not supply enough cooling for electrical components with higher heat loads.
2. Enclosure Air Conditioners
Air conditioning provides a viable option for temperature control when the capacity requires over 1000 BTUH. Enclosure air conditioners are especially beneficial if you operate electrical components with a need to stay cool in an environment with wide temperature fluctuations. Finding an air conditioner that has a wide capacity range will help ensure you are ready now and in the future for higher electrical heat loads.
3. Air to Air Heat exchangers
As an energy saving alternative, it’s tough to beat an air to air heat exchanger . This option fits well with a smaller cabinet application. A heat pipe absorbs the heat inside the enclosure and transfers it to the outside using a thermally conductive, phase-changing liquid under vacuum. In the enclosure, the liquid absorbs heat and converts to a vapor. This vapor moves to the other end of the pipe outside the enclosure, transfers the heat to the outside, and changes back to a liquid. The cycle repeats continuously with no moving parts, which makes air to air heat exchangers a relatively low-maintenance solution. This method of thermal management requires that the ambient air outside the enclosure be lower than the inside air temperature, but it uses very little energy.
4. Removing condensation
Air conditioning produces condensation from water vapor on the evaporator coil. Consider how this condensation will be removed when choosing an air conditioning system for your enclosure. Most systems get rid of this through a simple drain or with an electric heater. Thermal Edge solves this problem by evaporating the water in a tray mounted in the bottom of the air conditioner using the hot refrigerant tubing. This novel solution eliminates the need for water disposal and has the added benefit that it cools the hot gas, thus increasing the efficiency of the air conditioner and reducing power consumption.
Thermal Edge provides the solutions you need for thermal management in every industrial application. The key is finding the right system paired with the proper enclosure. Contact our sales professionals to learn how we build solutions.
