How to find the appropriate climate control solution. Rittal Decision-making aid.

To carry out complex production processes, sensitive and increasingly high-performance components are installed in enclosures. Selecting the right climate control solution is vital so as to ensure a long service life.

But what is the best climate control method for your system?

Could it be liquid cooling with an air/water heat exchanger, or cooling using a cooling unit or ambient air? Or perhaps you require enclosure heating. A holistic approach is needed to find the appropriate energy-efficient climate control solution for your system, because there are numerous aspects to consider. What are the ambient conditions at your system’s location, for example? Is it humid? Dusty? Hot? And what are the actual requirements in terms of cooling output?

Factors such as the type of installation (free-standing or integrated), the heat dissipation (passive or active) and the permissible noise level also need to be taken into account.

Did you know...

... that correct climate control can significantly lengthen the service life of components located in the enclosure?

The growing packing density in enclosures can lead to a huge increase in the heat loss!

As a general rule of thumb, a 10 °C rise in operating temperature halves the service life and doubles the failure rate.

Field study

Rittal conducted a field study on around 400 installations to investigate how climate control solutions are typically installed in industrial applications. This revealed a large number of failings that could have been prevented through optimum planning with the right tools.

To optimise the performance of climate control solutions, while also minimising their energy consumption, climate control needs to be planned correctly.

Typical failings resulting from incorrect climate control:

In 64% of installations, the warm components were not located in the air stream between the inlet and outlet of the climate control unit
50% of the units examined have a capacity utilisation of less than 20%
In 93% of installations, no targeted cold-air circulation was envisaged/installed
40% of units had heavily soiled filter mats and inadequate maintenance
In 18% of installations, the climate control unit’s inlet or outlet was obstructed in some way
19% of installations had air short-circuits

Overview of types of climate control based on ambient conditions

The different types of climate control have a variety of features and offer a wide range of benefits.

Units for cooling with ambient air are ideal for dissipating heat loads with excellent cost-efficiency. The pre-requisite is a relatively clean ambient air at a temperature that is lower than the desired temperature inside the enclosure.

Requirements:

Relatively clean ambient air
Ambient temperature lower than the desired temperature inside the enclosure

Benefits:

Particularly energy-efficient
Fast, cost-effective installation
No customer infrastructure required

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Cooling units keep the temperature inside the enclosure at a constant level, regardless of the ambient temperature. The air routing meets individual requirements. Two separate circuits prevent the ingress of dust into the enclosure.

Requirements:

Also suitable for use in warm or dusty ambient air
Ambient temperature at least as high as the desired temperature inside the enclosure

Benefits:

Two separate circuits prevent the ingress of dust into the enclosure
The temperature inside the enclosure is kept at a constant level
Excellent energy efficiency thanks to the innovative Blue e+ series of cooling units

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Efficient liquid cooling is used wherever a high cooling load is required – for example, in process and machine cooling or if using air/water heat exchangers to dissipate heat losses from enclosures. Spatial separation between cooling production and process cooling can be achieved with liquid cooling systems.

Requirements:

Also suitable for use in corrosive or oily ambient air
Ambient temperature can be higher or lower than the temperature inside the enclosure
A supply of cooling water must be ensured at the installation site

Benefits:

Exceptional temperature accuracy (constant water temperature)
Can cool both enclosures and machine tools
Suitable even for extremely high ambient temperatures
The heat exchanger and chiller can easily be kept separate, so no waste heat is generated in the room

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Condensation poses a particular risk for control electronics, especially with outdoor siting. Having a range of output categories ensures the correct thermal output is always available.

Requirements:

No requirements relating to the ambient air/temperature outside the enclosure

Benefits:

Distributes warm internal air evenly
Avoids subnormal temperatures in switchgear
Preventing condensation protects against corrosion

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Superbly coordinated components tailor the climate control components perfectly to your specific requirements – from targeted air routing and precise control of equipment to the appropriate consumables.

Benefits:

Monitoring, control and individual air routing can further increase the efficiency and reliability of climate control components

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How can you reduce your carbon footprint and save hard cash?

Using energy-efficient enclosure and process climate control solutions can help. In many cases, it’s worth replacing older equipment with new, energy-efficient solutions.

Significant savings can be achieved in terms of both maintenance costs and energy consumption. As a result, the latest climate control solutions will definitely not be affected by the next stage of the EU regulation on fluorinated greenhouse gases and associated requirements.