How Heat Exchangers Changed the Meaning of Ambient Cooling

Of the many different electrical cooling methods that have been developed over the last several decades, some of the most effective ones are also the most natural and efficient, as well. For example, modern heat exchangers, which are often the preferable electrical cooling solution, use methods such as natural/forced convection and phase-change cooling to rapidly transfer electrical waste heat. In many cases, the ambient cooling effect that this creates is more than enough to keep even advanced applications running smoothly without the risks of overheating.

Transferring heat before it’s an issue

Ambient cooling is the process of cooling the inside of an electrical enclosure to just above the ambient temperature outside of it. This is contrary to traditional cooling methods, which relied on dramatically lowering the temperatures inside of electrical enclosures using chilled air. However, solutions such as HVAC and air compressing equipment are less frequently necessary since ambient cooling solutions provide a more efficient way to prevent electrical overheating. Using an eco-friendly cooling fluid, a heat exchanger can absorb the waste heat the components inside of the enclosure produce, then transfer it and dissipate it safely in a cooler area to prevent the heat from accumulating.

Ambient cooling in modern applications

The reason ambient cooling has proven effective in most applications is because modern systems typically have maximum operating temperatures that are well above the ambient temperatures where they operate. Keeping the inside of the enclosures at just above this temperature is as effective as chilling it, yet is much more energy and cost-efficient. As modern technologies and applications have become more advanced, their production of electrical waste heat has often become more intense, requiring more powerful cooling solutions to keep up. Because of their highly efficient methods of transferring heat in a continuous loop, heat exchangers have advanced just as rapidly to provide ambient cooling solutions to match.

Ambient and below-ambient heat exchangers

While ambient cooling has proven more than effective for advanced applications, there are many that still require the below-ambient cooling results that were traditionally provided by HVAC or air compressing technologies. While the heat transfer capabilities of heat exchangers were once best suited for ambient cooling, today’s more advanced solutions can also provide the colder below-ambient electrical cooling that many applications require. This helps companies streamline their electrical thermal management in a wider variety of applications, helping them benefit even further from the improved efficiency that heat exchangers provide.

For more information about how heat exchangers changed the meaning of ambient cooling, call Noren Thermal Solutions in Taylor, TX, at 866-936-6736.