How Air to Air Heat Exchangers Will Cut Industrial Enclosure Energy Costs

enclosure-air-to-air-heat-exchanger-cut-costsCooling an electrical enclosure can get expensive, especially if you need a year-round solution that constantly operates. Although some applications require an air conditioner to adequately cool an electrical enclosure, in many cases, air to air heat exchangers are a more cost-effective solution.

Because they operate on the temperature difference between the heated air inside the enclosure and the cooler air outside the enclosure, heat exchangers consume less energy and therefore cost less to operate.

Saving Money with Air to Air Heat Exchangers

How does an air to air heat exchanger work? The process is actually quite simple. Electrical enclosures produce heat that must be removed. A heat pipe absorbs this excess heat and transfers it to the outside using a thermally conductive, phase-changing liquid under partial vacuum.

In the enclosure, the liquid absorbs heat and converts to a vapor. This vapor moves to the other end of the heat 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.

The only components that require electricity are two small fans, which consume very little energy. An air to air heat exchanger also has the benefit of being a closed-loop system. This means that your sensitive electrical panels will stay free of dirt and dust because the system does not draw air in from the outside to provide cooling.

Some of the other benefits of air to air heat exchangers include:

  • No filters to clean or change
  • Easy mounting on the side of an enclosure
  • Insulation to preserve the cold fraction
  • Available in NEMA types 12, 4 and 4X for multiple applications
  • Available in multiple sizes for different enclosure types

It is important to remember that heat exchangers with heat pipes only operate when the temperature outside the enclosure is lower than the temperature inside it. This means it will not draw heat into the enclosure if the outside air is warmer than the enclosure air. If your application requires enclosure cooling in higher ambient temperatures, an air conditioner may be a more appropriate solution.

If you’re not sure what type of cooling solution makes the most sense for your application, ask the experts at Thermal Edge. We provide air conditioners, air to air heat exchangers and filtered fans for electrical enclosures. We’ll even help you calculate the required cooling capacity so you know which system will be the most efficient. Contact us today to get started.