Not long ago, the idea of cooling electrical enclosures and other equipment to just above the ambient temperatures around them didn’t seem plausible. However, ever since heat exchangers became an increasingly more popular solution, the need for equipment such as air conditioners and other chilling methods have become less of a necessity. That’s because heat exchangers accomplish what didn’t seem possible before – the ability to keep electrical enclosures, control cabinets, and more properly cooled without having to chill the air within them.
A different approach to electrical cooling
The more powerful technology becomes, the more waste heat its electrical components generate. For this reason, the need for air conditioners, compressors, and other chilling apparatus has traditionally been necessary to ensure that that waste heat is properly dealt with. The difference between these solutions and the processes that make heat exchangers more efficient is that heat exchangers operate on principles of transferring heat rather than eliminating it. This means the fluid inside of a heat exchanger absorbs the heat as it’s emitted, then transfers it where it can be safely dissipated.
Why ambient heat exchangers work so well
In most modern applications, the maximum operating temperature of the equipment is higher than the temperature outside of the electrical enclosures. Therefore, transferring waste heat before it has a chance to raise the temperature inside of an enclosure is often ideal – a process that keeps the inside at temperatures just above the ambient temperatures outside of them. Because the ambient temperature is typically well below modern systems’ maximum operating temperatures, the process is as effective as it is efficient.
The benefits that come with ambient heat exchangers
By approaching the need for electrical waste heat management differently, heat exchangers have changed how many companies think about their thermal management needs. For example, it is no longer such a burdensome but necessary cost, as heat exchangers don’t require nearly as much energy, maintenance, or space as other traditional solutions do. This means companies have been able to save significantly on overhead costs while also streamlining their processes for cooling vital equipment.
For more information about the advantages of ambient cooling with heat exchangers, call Noren Thermal Solutions in Taylor, TX, at 866-936-6736.