tom baker said:

There are also cabinet coolers that use compressed air. And Hoffman has small ac units for control panels, and they may be able to maintain the NEMA panel rating.

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vortex coolers are insanely expensive to run. air is a very expensive utility. there is also often water or oil in the compressed air that makes a big mess inside the control cabinet over time. however, if you have a source of clean, dry air close by and it does not need to run much or you can tolerate the expense, vortex coolers can be a good option. they also have the advantage of no moving parts.

there are a bunch of companies making cabinet air conditioners. they are commonly available in type 12 and type 4X as far as enclosure ratings go.

personally, I have been trying to eliminate cabinet air conditioners. they are expensive and require a fair amount of service. and longevity can be an issue. many times i can avoid needing a/c in a cabinet by proper ventilation or by not putting the heat in the cabinet in the first place. most of the cabinets that I design that generate a lot of heat are because of large vfds. I can get vfds that have the heat sink mounted out the back of the cabinet so most of the heat is expelled outside the cabinet. these days there are fans available with grills that are rated as type 12 so it is often possible even in a type 12 environment to remove the heat just with fan forced ventilation. however, fans have a limited life time and also require service to clean the filters. I usually put them on a thermostat to reduce the run time.

vortex coolers are insanely expensive to run. air is a very expensive utility. there is also often water or oil in the compressed air that makes a big mess inside the control cabinet over time. however, if you have a source of clean, dry air close by and it does not need to run much or you can tolerate the expense, vortex coolers can be a good option. they also have the advantage of no moving parts.there are a bunch of companies making cabinet air conditioners. they are commonly available in type 12 and type 4X as far as enclosure ratings go.personally, I have been trying to eliminate cabinet air conditioners. they are expensive and require a fair amount of service. and longevity can be an issue. many times i can avoid needing a/c in a cabinet by proper ventilation or by not putting the heat in the cabinet in the first place. most of the cabinets that I design that generate a lot of heat are because of large vfds. I can get vfds that have the heat sink mounted out the back of the cabinet so most of the heat is expelled outside the cabinet. these days there are fans available with grills that are rated as type 12 so it is often possible even in a type 12 environment to remove the heat just with fan forced ventilation. however, fans have a limited life time and also require service to clean the filters. I usually put them on a thermostat to reduce the run time.

7 Reasons Electrical Enclosure Cooling Is Necessary

The use of electrical enclosure cooling systems has grown exponentially in the last few decades. Reasons for this growth include higher cabinet heat loads and the use of more sophisticated electrical drives and equipment. Concurrently, there has been a desire to reduce costs and this has led to the placement of electrical enclosures closer to the plant and equipment, thus exposing these enclosures to harsher environments.

History of Enclosure Cooling

Traditionally, electrical enclosures were naturally ventilated and it was relatively rare to even see fan-assisted cooling. Inevitably, many enclosures operated at elevated temperatures, but prevailing attitudes were that this was acceptable. These views slowly changed as PLCs, variable speed drives, and similar equipment became more common and maintenance staff began to experience output variability, nuisance tripping, and the unexpected failure of electrical equipment.

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The reasons were eventually linked to high enclosure temperatures, and this gradually led to the widespread application of enclosure cooling systems. Initially, interest focused on the use of cooling fans but, as it became apparent that fans were of limited benefit in higher ambient temperatures or dusty environments, enclosure designers began to specify enclosure air conditioning.

Here are seven important reasons why enclosure cooling has become so necessary.

Reasons for Enclosure Cooling

Although there are many factors why enclosure cooling is specified, some are related to unique, site-specific needs. However, the most consistent and common reasons are:

1. Control maximum enclosure temperature: Unlike traditional electro-mechanical components, power electronic devices such as variable speed drives have relatively low maximum operating temperatures. Few devices can be used above 120 °F, and there are many drives that are limited to 105 °F. Yet summer temperatures in U.S. can exceed 105 °F, and many areas get pretty close to 120 °F.
2. Keep out dirt and debris: Enclosures need to be sealed against the entry of dirt, dust, and fibers that coat surfaces and cause contamination and temperature rise. This precludes the use of natural ventilation or fans and enclosure cooling with an air conditioner, air to water heat exchanger or air to air heat exchanger is required.
3. Prevent entry of corrosive vapors: Similarly, corrosive vapors and gases need to be excluded as they damage and corrode copper components. This is especially an issue in coastal areas.
4. Prevent water entry: In food manufacturing, equipment needs to be frequently washed down and enclosures must be sealed to resist high pressure water sprays.
5. Extend component life: It&#;s a well-known fact that the life of electrical equipment is halved for every 20 °F increase in temperature. VFDs, PLCs, and similar equipment usually have relatively low maximum operating temperatures and operating such equipment close to or above its design temperature reduces equipment life.
6. Prevent malfunction due to overheating: PLCs, industrial controllers, and drives are designed to operate within tight parameters. If allowed to operate above their recommended temperature, output variability that affects device stability leading to equipment malfunction can be expected.
7. Remove excessive heat: The heat load of modern electrical enclosures is much higher than in the past. In part, this is due to the proliferation of electronic drives that generate a substantial amount of heat. For example, a 50 horsepower drive generates nearly 1,500 watts of heat that has to be removed from the enclosure.

Enclosure Cooling Improves Reliability

Although specifying enclosure cooling adds to the initial cost of an electrical enclosure, long term operational costs are likely to be significantly lower because the equipment inside the enclosure will be operating at a temperature that&#;s within the manufacturer&#;s specifications. This will enhance reliability and reduce the incidence of premature failure.

If you want to better understand why enclosure cooling is necessary, contact Thermal Edge&#;s technical experts who will demonstrate how enclosure cooling can reduce your costs.

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