Inside an electrical enclosure, every 18°F rise in temperature reduces the reliability of the electronic components by 50%. As technology advances, electronics get smaller, leading to more electronic components inside a single electrical enclosure. These tightly packed components help conserve space and allow for more efficient automation but leave very little room for heat dissipation and airflow circulation. This contributes to higher internal enclosure temperatures, which can ultimately lead to electronic overheating, control failures, and system shutdowns.
Tactics and Practices
This article is part of Plant Services’s monthly Tactics and Practices column. Read more Tactics and Practices.
A helpful tool to get a better understanding of enclosure cooling capacity needs is a heat load calculator.