Guest contributor, Eric Corzine, Product Manager – Climate Control, Rittal
Data Centers and server racks run hot. Protecting the technology backbone of your company means managing air flow, temperature, energy consumption and cooling technology.
Rittal, the world’s largest enclosure manufacturer and a leader in thermal management of electrical, electronic and IT equipment, offers some important guidelines to ensure your equipment stays in optimum condition. The following tips are based on decades of practical experience in the use of enclosures climate control solution in industrial environments. By ensuring sufficient planning and maintenance guidelines are in place, control cabinets and electronic enclosures can be last longer and be more energy-efficient.
7 Considerations for More Efficient Enclosures
1. Devices and electrical components must be installed in the enclosure in accordance with the manufacturer instructions. Storage space for necessary documents and circuit diagrams should also be taken into account during the planning phase.
2. When arranging the components in the enclosure, verify that the cooling air flows from top to bottom. You can ensure this in the planning stages by properly routing the air flow away from the electronic components. When roof-mounted units are used, particular attention needs to be paid to the air flow from blowers built into electrical components. The use of air duct systems is advisable in the case of roof-mounted cooling units
3. There should be sufficient space for air to flow between the parts and electrical components.
4. Air intake openings of climate control components must not be obstructed by electrical devices equipment or cable ducts. With all climate control solutions, the cold air should always be routed close to drive units. This is where the greatest heat losses occur. This arrangement ensures that the cold supply air from the climate control solution optimally cools the drive units without losses.
5. Internal temperatures of the enclosure should always be set to +35◦C. There is no technical justification for setting the temperature any lower. If the temperature inside the enclosure is any lower, condensation will be significantly increased.
6. Institute a systematic cleaning cycle. As most climate control components are used in industrial environments external filters of the climate control must be maintained to ensure long-lasting operation.
7. Ensure the correct filters are used for the industry application.
In heavily dust-laden atmospheres, PU filters should be used and replaced on a regular basis. Cooling units with Ri Nano coating typically do not need a dust filter.
If the air is oil-contaminated, use metal filters. These separate the oil condensate from the air and can be cleaned with appropriate detergents
In the textile industry, the use of lint filters is recommended.
Chopped fibre mat filters are not suitable for cooling units.
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