Feature Climate control
Cool solutions for reducing energy consumption
Christian Westwood, product specialist, Climate Control Products, Rittal, looks into today’s enclosure cooling solutions, and explains how their efficiency can help towards reducing energy consumption and operating costs
nnovative technological advances continue to improve the energy efficiency of cooling products. However, when a particular climate control solution is providing essential cooling, it is not only the energy con- sumed that should be considered. The control of such a system can also play an important role in reducing operating costs – after all, why use energy when you don’t have to?
I
A further consideration is the accuracy of the manufacturers’ informa- tion. Not all cooling units are the same; and claimed cooling output and power consumption figures may seldom be achieved in practice. So, how can you be sure that your cooling unit is provid- ing the performance levels both expected and required?
The direct use of ambient air remains
“How can you be sure that your cooling unit is providing the
performance levels both expected and required?”
the most energy efficient method of dissipating the heat produced by the equipment installed in an enclosure. Should the environment permit the use of such a solution, i.e. the ambient air is of a sufficiently low temperature and free from contaminants, then a fan-and-filter unit, with a combination of fan and dust filter, will provide a means of cooling that has minimal operating costs. Fan-and-filter units may be fitted with diagonal fans, a hybrid of the more conventional axial and radial variants. This option will provide improved per- formance against static pressure and, in turn, offer improved energy efficiency and a more constant air throughput, effectively minimising the occurrence of hot spots in the enclosure. Energy consumption may be reduced
further by the introduction of a simple control mechanism. A thermostat or hygrostat may be used to switch a fan-and-filter unit on or off in response to varying temperature and relative humidity inside an enclosure. The same energy-saving philosophy that has resulted in many motors being controlled by inverter drives has resulted in a more sophisticated form of control for the fan-and-filter unit. A speed control device may be used to vary the rate at which the fan rotates and thus the amount of air being provided, in response to the cooling demand, ultimately switching the fan off when it is not required.
Motors Further energy savings from the fan-and-filter unit may be yielded by the adoption of a different type of motor. Developments in energy effi- cient fan-and-filter units for climate control in enclosures show that upcom- ing energy efficiency guidelines are not only met but easily exceeded by using electronically commutated (EC) motors, an innovation that utilises direct current (DC) motors. More energy efficient than the conventional alternating current (AC) shaded-pole equivalent, EC motors not only offer energy savings of up to 60% but they also provide intelligent control and fan status monitoring. Infinitely variable speed control
offers a means of conserving energy further by operating the fan at a speed determined by the demand for cooling. A programmable logic con- troller (PLC) may be used to control the fan motor, via a 0-10V DC or pulse
Enclosures from the smallest to the largest.
ENCLOSURES POWER DISTRIBUTION Enter 104 CLIMATE CONTROL
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28