Application Note

Sealed Enclosures, Thermal Solutions, Harsh Environments

ACT: Sealed Enclosure Coolers - Effective Thermal Solutions for Harsh Environments

All electronics dissipate waste heat. In typical high-power electronics cabinets this waste heat can become significant, in the range of 100’s to 1,000’s of Watts. At these levels dissipating the waste heat becomes a critical design issue. Most cabinets that operate in controlled indoor environments use fan filter systems, which duct ambient air through the cabinet, because they are the most eective and ecient way of dissipating the waste heat load. This is also feasible for some outdoor applications assuming rain guards and filters are used.

However, in many applications such as dirty / dusty environments, hose down / wash down facilities in the food industry, harsh outdoor applications, and many others it is not possible or advisable to allow ambient air to flow through and cool the sensitive and expensive components inside your enclosure. The best way to protect electronics is to use a sealed cabinet that does not allow any contaminated ambient air, even filtered air, from entering the cabinet. This is where sealed air-to-air heat exchangers, or sealed enclosure coolers, become an invaluable part of the overall system.