hvac

Why You Need a Cabinet Cooler

Posted on by explosio

Safe Air Technology Cabinet Cooler
When you need to enclose electrical or other components in a cabinet to protect them from dust and debris, you run the risk of them overheating. When your components overheat, they can lose efficacy, part of their lifetimes, or even fail, costing you money in repair costs, lost revenue, or even emergency evacuations. To solve the problem of overheating electrical components, you need a cabinet cooler, which can alleviate cabinet heat without requiring a full air conditioning solution.

How Cabinet Cooling Fans Work

All cooling fans work on the principle of forced convection, which enhances natural convection – the process of heat transferring from one area to another through air movement – with fans or blowers. As cooler outside air is pushed through the system, the heat generated by the electrical equipment within the cabinet is pushed out through the exhaust vent.
A cabinet fan is an economical answer for any industrial enclosure you may have, as long as the environment is not excessively harsh, like an indoor cabinet without exposure to heavy dust or sprayed liquid. More intense environments or cooling needs may necessitate a closed-loop cooling system, like an air to air heat exchanger or enclosure air conditioner, to properly cool the cabinet.

Is Extra Cooling Required?

Not every cabinet on your property will need additional cooling. Natural convection and heat transfer through the cabinet walls might be enough to maintain the equipment at or below its specified maximum operating temperature.
To figure out if you need a cabinet cooler, you’ll need to calculate the total waste heat the equipment in your cabinet produces while operating, or its heat load. Your equipment’s specifications should list its heat load, so check that.
An example of a calculation is this: say you have a VFD with an operating efficiency of 92% at design load. That means that you’ll lose 8% of the total energy used by the drive as heat, since 100% – 92% = 8%. For, say, a 100 horsepower VFD, that works out to 8 hp of waste heat, or 5,965.6 watts. If your cabinet loses less heat than that via convection and conduction, you’ll need a cabinet cooling fan.

Explosion-Proof Cabinet Cooling Fans for Sale in Baton Rouge

At Safe Air Technology, we’ve performed thorough research and in-house engineering to bring our customers the finest line of explosion proof cabinet coolers available. These unique cooling systems use air to air heat exchangers to maintain the desired temperature in any closed cabinet environment. Whenever you need to enclose electrical or other components to protect them from dust and debris, you run the risk of overheating. Our explosion proof cabinet coolers alleviate that problem with cost effective thermal management that doesn’t require air conditioning.
The Safe Air Technology CB-XPC series Cabinet Coolers are fully tested in-house to ensure outstanding operational performance and compliance every time. Designed to meet Division 2 codes, these units are the ideal way to provide cooling for industrial severe duty applications. Our quality of engineering and manufacturing and personalized attention to every aspect of the manufacturing process, from design and engineering to delivery, will ensure many years of reliable and safe service.
Give us a call or visit us online for a quote today!

What is “Explosion Proof,” and how do I know if I need it?

Posted on by explosio

Explosion Proof Vertical Wall Mount Package Unit

In your heavy industrial, refinery, or chemical processing plant, you still need a capable HVAC system to keep your workers and machinery cool. However, you can’t use just any HVAC system, since the environment of a plant is more hazardous than the standard house or business Louisiana. You need what’s called “explosion proof” equipment to keep your business and employees safe.

What does “explosion proof” mean?

The term “explosion proof” comes out of the National Electric Code (NEC®), first published in 1897 by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). That document defines a number of protection techniques for various hazardous locations, including explosion proof, dust ignition proof, dust tight, purged/pressurized, intrinsically safe, and hermetically sealed.

Each of these techniques contains a number of criteria that must be met by components installed in hazardous locations. The term “explosion proof,” specifically, refers to the unit’s ability to contain any explosion that originates within its housing, and to keep sparks from igniting any vapors, dust, or other particles that are in the air around the unit. It actually doesn’t mean that it can withstand an explosion! It just won’t cause any fires itself.

Do I need an explosion proof HVAC?

Each of the protection techniques laid out by the NEC® is permitted only in specific applications. Explosion proof machinery is approved for use in Class I, Division 1 or 2 locations, so if your plant or building is in a higher class, you might need other equipment. Often, if your building is in a lower class, an explosion proof unit will be acceptable. Products listed for a higher classification often surpass the requirements of lower-classified areas.

If you’re not sure whether you need an explosion proof unit or not for your HVAC needs, the helpful people at Safe Air Technology are happy to answer your HVAC questions! Give us a call any time to describe your needs and we’ll be happy to help. We know what we’re doing and what you will need!

Where can I buy an explosion proof system?

Once you determine that an explosion proof system is right for your Baton Rouge business, factory, or plant, give Safe Air Technology a call! We can also ship units around the country or even internationally.

If you need a custom-built explosion proof solution, we have experienced engineers and designers on staff that can create a plan for you. Give us a call or email us today. We’ve been building explosion proof HVAC systems for years, so we’ve seen it all. When you need a new HVAC system, whether it’s a cooling system, split system, heating system or air handler, for your business, we’ve got what you need!