There are some electrical thermal management considerations that are common across virtually all applications. Then, there are those applications that are designed for extreme high-performance tasks, or that operate under severe conditions, and therefore, require higher-than-normal performance and safety from their thermal management solutions. For such applications, conventional heat exchangers may not always be viable solutions. However, iterations of the technology are now available that are made specifically to endure harsh conditions in hazardous locations, and are able to provide optimal efficiency and safety despite those conditions.
Why It’s Such a Challenge
The fact that applications in hazardous locations often require more powerful thermal management isn’t the greatest challenge – the fact that they’re locations are hazardous is. All types of heat exchangers can provide efficient and reliable heat transfer solutions. Yet, doing so in a way that protects the heat exchanger and electrical enclosure from hazardous environmental factors is a different matter. For example, many hazardous locations include temperatures that are extremely high and climates that are extremely dusty or dirty. In some operations, such as oil and gas manufacturing, heat exchangers also have to consider the volatile nature of the environment.
The Advantage of Heat Exchangers
Fortunately, many modern heat exchangers are designed specifically for the extreme nature of such applications. For example, they’re designed with extra-strength ingress protection to ensure that know harmful or volatile elements enter the cooling unit or electrical enclosure. They can also provide below-ambient cooling to account for heightened power output and extremely hot climates. Because they still transfer heat using natural, eco-friendly methods (such as phase-change cooling), hazardous location heat exchangers don’t require much interaction or maintenance from employees, increasing their safety, as well.
For more information about how heat exchangers make thermal management easier in hazardous locations, call Noren Thermal Solutions in Taylor, TX, at 866-936-6736.