More Advanced Below-Ambient Electrical Cooling

In most areas of electrical thermal management, heat exchangers have proven more than adequate at helping companies optimize performance and efficiency. The ability to transfer waste heat makes them a more efficient and productive method of keeping electrical enclosures cooled than older methods, like air conditioning. However, not all heat exchangers were able to provide the below-ambient cooling that air conditioners are known for, and for some companies, that has meant relying on more costly conventional cooling solutions. Now, below-ambient heat exchangers are able to provide the same level of efficiency as regular ones for applications that require chilled temperatures for optimal performance.

How heat exchangers handle electrical cooling

The reason traditional heat exchangers weren’t designed for ambient cooling is because they weren’t designed to chill the air within electrical enclosures. Instead, an eco-friendly cooling fluid flowed through the heat exchanger, absorbing waste heat so that it could efficiently transfer it safely to a heat depository. This helped maintain the temperature within enclosures at just above the ambient temperature outside of them. For most applications, that ambient temperature is well below the maximum operating temperature, making the heat exchangers more than adequate. However, there are applications where below-ambient cooling is the necessary solution.

Why some companies still rely on older solutions

While most common applications can benefit from ambient cooling, companies in many different industries often operate in extremely hot climates where ambient temperatures are too high. In such conditions, companies often rely on older cooling technologies such as air conditioning or air compression because they believe it’s the only way to achieve the necessary below-ambient temperatures. However, modern heat exchangers can also be designed to accommodate their needs, making the burden of conventional cooling systems unnecessary.

How heat exchangers solve that problem, too

Heat exchangers that are designed to achieve below-ambient temperatures operate on the same principles of heat transfer that ambient heat exchangers rely on. The use of a cooling fluid within a looped system, such as heat pipes or cold plates, helps keep waste heat constantly flowing away from sensitive electrical components. However, to achieve below-ambient temperatures, more advanced heat exchangers utilize a fluid that’s cooled to the appropriate temperature. For more information about advanced below-ambient electrical cooling, call Noren Thermal Solutions in Taylor, TX, at 866-936-6736.