Cabinet coolers
April 2008
Enclosures, Cabling & Connectors
EXAIR cabinet coolers offer a low cost, reliable way to cool and purge electronic control panels. The coolers incorporate a stainless steel vortex tube to produce cold air from compressed air with no moving parts. The compact devices can be installed in minutes through a standard electrical knockout. NEMA 4, 4X and 12 cabinet coolers that match the NEMA rating of the enclosure are available in many cooling capacities for large and small control panels.
How vortex coolers work
Compressed air enters the vortex tube (Figure 1) and is converted into two streams, one hot and one cold. Hot air from the tube is exhausted through the discharge port, while the cold air is directed into the cabinet. The displaced warm air in the cabinet rises and exits to atmosphere through the cabinet air exhaust at a slight positive pressure. Thus, the control cabinet is both cooled and purged with cool, clean air.
Figure 1
According to EXAIR heat exchangers, heat pipes and refrigerant coolers all have filters that can clog. Left unattended, mechanical failure of the cooler is likely resulting in overheating inside the enclosure and possible equipment failure. Vortex coolers have no moving parts to wear out and do not require constant monitoring. All models are UL listed and available in a large number of styles and capacities.
Thermostat control limits compressed air use by operating the cooler only when the enclosure reaches predetermined levels. Most plants have their compressor running continuously, by using a vortex cooler energy savings are achieved through utilising a machine that is already consuming electricity instead of using products which would require additional power.
Typical applications are found in the food and pharmaceutical industries with capacities ranging from 160 to 700 kilo calories per hour.
Further reading:
Energy chains transform Durban ship loader productivity
igus
Enclosures, Cabling & Connectors
South African Bulk Terminals has installed a 140 m opposing energy chain system from igus to improve the management of cables used in the operation of two of its massive ship loaders.
Read more...
Rittal’s flat-pack enclosure solution
Rittal
Enclosures, Cabling & Connectors
The launch of Rittal’s FR IT flat-pack enclosure earlier this year marked a milestone for the company, introducing the local market to a high-capacity, top-tier IT enclosure in a convenient and cost-effective flat-pack format for the first time.
Read more...
Reliable connectivity for the food and beverage industry
LAPP Southern Africa
Enclosures, Cabling & Connectors
The food and beverage industry operates in one of the most demanding industrial environments where hygiene, efficiency and reliability are critical to daily operations. To support these growing industry demands, LAPP has introduced a new generation of sensor cordsets designed to perform in challenging food and beverage environments.
Read more...
Innovative cable entry for maximum flexibility and efficiency
Enclosures, Cabling & Connectors
icotek is setting new standards in terms of flexibility, efficiency and space-saving with a new series of cable glands.
Read more...
Safety-critical fibre optic systems in mining
Omniflex Remote Monitoring Specialists
Enclosures, Cabling & Connectors
Omniflex highlights the importance of fibre optic technology in in enabling systems in the mining industry to transmit shutdown commands reliably over tens of kilometres and verify that they have been executed.
Read more...
Compact integration of 3A and 4A connectors
Enclosures, Cabling & Connectors
With the new AT-HA grommet, icotek is expanding its innovative IMAS-CONNECT adapter system with a forward-looking solution for industrial use.
Read more...
Space-saving I/O module for control cabinets
ifm - South Africa
Enclosures, Cabling & Connectors
The IO-Link I/O module from ifm simplifies integration of sensors and actuators with conventional wiring in the control cabinet as well as in field applications with low IP protection class requirements.
Read more...
The future of industrial connectivity
LAPP Southern Africa
Enclosures, Cabling & Connectors
Designed to meet the demands of modern industry, the EPIC DATA RJ45 connector from LAPP delivers a combination of durability, performance and versatility suited to demanding industrial environments.
Read more...
Hybrid connectors for distributed automation
Beckhoff Automation
Enclosures, Cabling & Connectors
Beckhoff’s ECP and ENP connector series combine power with signal and data communication by means of One Cable Automation (OCA) and thus significantly reduce cabling work.
Read more...
Power distribution reinvented
Rittal
Enclosures, Cabling & Connectors
Rittal has developed the RiLineX, a modular busbar system that redefines how power is distributed inside electrical enclosures.
Read more...