Marine Vienney

Liquid Cooling Solutions, the Best Choice for Complete Plant-wide Machine Cooling

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When it comes to Thermal Management, cooling each machinery or electrical cabinet separately is usually the solution chosen by most of the industries. However, this leave a valuable optimization potential untapped.

Maximum efficiency cooling for a whole system can be achieved with a cooling system solution consisting of air to water heat exchangers and water-based chillers. These ‘Liquid Solutions’ cool the complete assembly and offer significant benefits compared to traditional approaches such as cooling with ambient air.

How does it work?

A closed loop cooling or semi open system is used to provide cooling to the entire plant assembly. These might be electrical enclosures, processes or individual machine parts such as spindles, motors or hydraulic equipment.

Liquid Cooling Solutions

In a closed-loop system, electrical enclosures or assemblies are cooled with cold water at a specified inlet temperature which is pumped through a pipe system. Flowing through the electrical enclosures or assemblies, the water is warmer when it returns to the chiller. This creates a temperature delta which the chiller equalizes by cooling the water from the outlet temperature down to the inlet temperature.

The process chiller system feeds cold water into the application inside the factory hall or outdoors and the constant flow temperature significantly improves machine availability and machining accuracy. There is no other cooling media being as efficient as water cooling.

The best Liquid Cooling Solution: Combined Chillers and Air to Water Heat Exchangers

The combination of application-specific process chillers with air to water heat exchangers is particularly suitable for applications in which heat must not be dissipated in the immediate environment, where the ambient air is too aggressive to allow the use of traditional enclosure cooling units, where high-level protection is required (up to IP 65) or where the cooling devices must be maintenance-free.

The air to water heat exchanges are all cut-out-compatible and fit in the housing of all available electrical enclosures. This means that machine and plant manufacturers, end users and distributors benefit from higher flexibility, and save costs on warehousing and servicing.

The advantage of an intelligent system solution with application-specific chillers and air to water heat exchangers is that the dissipated heat can be moved directly from the factory shop floor via air channels or an outside chiller system. It also offers very high reliability and problem-free operation as all the components of the system are chosen to work together perfectly. Low maintenance, cut-out-compatibility and energy efficiency optimize energy consumption and keep operating costs to a minimum. The integrated concept and numerous options allow the system to be adapted to almost any application, even with changing conditions.

Application-specific configuration

EB 2.0 Group

Pfannenberg’s experts work with their customers to develop application-specific chiller systems. To achieve exactly the right configuration, it is essential to:

  • First determine the heat load for the whole assembly.
  • The second step is to specify the type of cooling medium (ideally water), the target temperature and the flow quantity which the system must deliver in the actual application. This process should take into account how the heat is transmitted to the cooling medium and the type of refrigerant necessary to operate the refrigerant circuit. The type of cooling medium and which chiller model is used depends on whether usable process water is available at the factory and if so, whether it is warm or cold (see overview of device variants).
  • An analysis of the environmental conditions prevailing where the chiller system is to be installed is also carried out. For example, there might be high temperatures and contaminated air indoors, while outdoors the temperature might fluctuate widely. Both of these factors can have an impact on the configuration of the chiller system, making accessories such as filter fans or crankcase heating necessary. Taking the temperature of the cooling medium at the inlet and the highest likely ambient temperature as a basis, Pfannenberg determines the best chiller model with the correct characteristic curves for the job.
  • The final stage in the application-specific configuration is to think about whether the selected standard version meets the other requirements of the application, such as performance data, control and regulation options, available space, certifications and color. It is then decided whether standard options are necessary or helpful and if so, which. With numerous available options available, the EB chillers meet the requirements of practically any application in industrial environments.

Pfannenberg offers installation-ready chiller systems with performance specifications ranging from 1 to 160 kW. The modular concept of the EB series allows users to select from up to 30 standard options. These include hydraulic bypass/relief valves, flow monitors, tank level monitors, air filters, air filter monitors, check valves, solenoid valves, single alarm display and UL certification. Special solutions are also available. Click here to determine the correct chiller for your application!

With products that include filterfans, heaters, industrial air conditioners, air to water heat exchangers, packaged chillers, and signaling devices, Pfannenberg offers a full range of thermal management solutions for all types of industries. Standard options such as stainless steel materials, NEMA 4/4X enclosures, and washdown duty construction allow these time-tested products to be seamlessly incorporated into even the most demanding applications.

Have a question regarding which equipment is best for your application? Ask Us Here.

Marine Vienney

Protect Sensitive Electronics from Damaging Condensation

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PROTECT SENSITIVE ELECTRONICS from damaging condensation caused by changes in temperature or humidity.

Pfannenberg’s PFH-T Compact Fan Heater is perfect for maintaining the precise temperatures and condensation management required for the proper function of electronics.

Our PFH-T Compact Fan Heater is perfect for the following industries and applications.

  • Self Service Kiosks
  • Irrigation and Outdoor Pump Control Systems
  • Surveillance and CCTV Systems
  • Telecommunication Systems
  • Traffic Control Systems
  • ATMs
  • Rooftop Control Systems
  • Parking Control Enclosures

Pfannenberg’s PFH-T Compact Fan Heater is available with heating capactities ranging from 200 W to 1200 W. Check out our additional enclosure heaters and enclosure thermostats. Helping customers for over 60 years with their thermal management solutions.

Marine Vienney

3 Solutions to Protect your Electrical Enclosures From Condensation and Humidity

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What is condensation?

Formation of condensation is one of the biggest dangers for electrical enclosures. Condensation is caused by hot, humid air coming into contact with a colder surface than the air dew point.

With Spring’s typical variable weather conditions, outdoor enclosures are even more exposed to the risk of condensation. Condensation can also occur indoors if the humidity is too high.

When the humidity is high is does not take a large change in temperature to cause condensate to form inside the cabinet.

How to prevent condensation?

The most efficient solution is to combine Filterfans® and Heaters with control devices such as Hygrostats and Thermostats. Fan Heaters are typically used in outdoor applications where ambient temperature can threaten sensitive electronics. Radiant Heaters are often used to reduce humidity and control condensate within the enclosure.

1. Filterfans® + Rainhoods

Filterfans® are the ideal solution for clean, non-hazardous environments with an acceptable ambient (outside the enclosure) temperature range.

Designed for use with standard Filterfans®, Pfannenberg’s new Rainhoods (Patent Pending) protect your application from harsh environments like rain, water spray, snow or fluids from being drawn into the enclosure.  This product feature a robust design rated to NEMA TYPE 3R/4/4x and IPx6 when used with Pfannenberg Filterfans®.

Adding a Heater to your Filterfan® + Rainhood solution will ensure a proper humidity control. This combination is the optimum solution for the economical and energy efficient cooling of electrical enclosure components.

2. Fan Heaters

Pfannenberg Heaters prevent condensate build up and therefore protect against corrosion.

Compact fan heater with thermostatFan HeaterMini radiant heaterThe PFH-T Fan Heaters with Thermostat are designed to protect electronics from the effects of low temperatures such as corrosion, freezing or condensation, which can damage critical components within a control enclosure.

The PRH-M Mini Radiant Heaters are ideal for small outdoor enclosures, preventing condensate formation.

The FLH Heaters are ideal for use in larger electrical enclosures.

3. Thermostats / Hygrostats

Industrial ThermostatHygrostat FLZ 600

Pfannenberg’s Hygrostats allow you to effectively control the humidity level inside the enclosure. These devices are used to start the heater or filterfan® if the predetermined humidity threshold is reached.

When combining a Pfannenberg Thermostat with a Filterfan®, the fan can be controlled to turn on and off based on the temperature inside the cabinet.

The benefits to this combined system are:
• Extended fan life.
• Reduced energy consumption.
• Reduced consumables and maintenance.

As a system; Filterfans, Heaters, Thermostats and Hygrostats will ensure that the environment within the enclosure is ideal for the performance and service life of the critical electronics.

 

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Reliable Enclosure Cooling for Commercial Bakeries

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Customer Requirement

Pfannenberg worked with a bakery end user to develop a cooling solution for their control cabinets.  Most of the OEM equipment installed in the bakery called for air conditioners to cool the drives. PLCs and additional electronics. Most times Cooling units can be a convenient and effective method for cooling electronics, except when located in dusty, humid areas within the plant.

These AC units failed regularly and had to be replaced. This was not a sustainable solution as the customer had constant issues with clogging coils and overheating panels.

Once a panel overheated they had to either: not operate the machine, or operate the cabinets with the doors open. This would let all the contaminants that were hurting the AC units into the cabinet, damaging the drives and other components.

The Pfannenberg Solution

To use the chilled Glycol that was already present for other machine processes to provide the cooled liquid source for our PWS Air to Water Heat Exchangers.

The solution included:

  • A reliable cooling solution designed for harsh environments
  • Reduced maintenance.  Once installed the units only have just one moving part, so regular maintenance is not necessary
  • Eliminating equipment failures, means greater uptime
  • Reduced energy costs with the PWS units
  • UL Tested NEMA Type 4/4X – washdown

Customer Benefits

Pfanneneberg’s PWS Series Air To Water Heat Exchanger was the precise solution for the problems our customer experienced. Incorporating Air/Water Heat Exchangers improved performance, reduced maintenance, was energy efficient, and prevented unplanned repairs.

 

Marine Vienney

Spring Cleaning – 3 Steps you Can Take to Prepare your Cooling Units for the Stress of the Summer Heat

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With hotter temperatures just around the corner we’ve put together this Preventative Maintenance Video to help you prepare your enclosure cooling units for the stress of summer heat.

To avoid any critical component failure, follow the 3 simple steps below to help ensure your enclosure cooling units stay up running all summer. Don’t Wait Until it’s Too Late!

STEP 1: Make Sure your Condenser Coils are Clean

The condenser coils are one of the most important components of your Cooling Unit, they ensure the reliable, cost efficient and long-term operation of your unit. When dirt, dust or debris builds up on your condenser coils, it can have a major effect on the performance of your cooling unit.

STEP 2: Check your Fan Motors and Inside/Outside Electrical Components

In order to prevent failure, the cooling unit’s fan motor and fan blades need to be inspected to determine wear and damage.  All the electrical components in the control box also need to be checked to make sure all connections aren’t damaged or loose.

STEP 3: Set your Unit to the Recommended Proper Temperature

Pfannenberg sets the dip-switches on the control board to 95°F/35°C in the factory, and recommends that the dip switch settings are not altered.

*Having the dip-switch temperature set to a lower point can cause damage not only to the cooling unit, but to the composure as well.  Changing the set point can cause the cooling unit to run excessively, possibly causing damage to the compressor and other components.  It can also cause the enclosure to produce condensate, possibly damaging electrical components inside the cabinet.

Watch the Full Video Now!

Contact us for recommended spare parts or getting your orders in now for new or replacement cooling units.

Marine Vienney

KUADROTEK – Cooling the cabinets of the inverter stations for the 35 MW Ashalim photovoltaic plant, in Israel.

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The plant includes the world’s tallest solar tower

The Ashalim power station is located in the Negev desert near the kibbutz of Ashalim, in Israel. The station will provide 250 Megawatt of hybrid PV-solarthermal electricity (2.5% of the Israeli consumption), which makes it the largest of its kind in Israel and one of the largest in the world. The station will combine 3 kinds of energy: solar thermal energy, photovoltaic energy, and natural gas. The PV plant has been connected to the grid in January 2018. Pfannenberg’s cooling units have been mounted in Kuadrotek’s cabinets for inverter stations.

The Customer

Kuadrotek SA, from Tarragona, is part of the Spanish Elektra Group. It specialises in the design, development and implementation of electric switchboards and control panels for the automation of installations and industrial processes in the automotive and energy industries.

Kuadrotek has delivered the electrical cabinets for the inverter stations of the 35 MW photovoltaic plant. Pfannenberg’s cooling units will ensure the perfect thermal management and operational safety for their components.

The Application

PV power plants are built across the globe, including areas of high altitude, extreme temperature, proximity to the sea, and desert areas impacted by sand and dust.

The inverter is the heart of every PV plant; it converts direct current of the PV modules into grid-compliant alternating current and feeds this into the public grid. At the same time, it controls and monitors the entire plant.

Controlling the temperature inside the electrical cabinets – and therefore guarantee the health of its components – it’s a crucial task.

The Solution

After taking into consideration different options of the competition, Kuadrotek chose Pfannenberg’s Outdoor Type 3R/4 side mount cooling units – model DTS 3161 230 V – because of the high protection level (comparable to IP 56) together with the reliability of working in extreme conditions. It offers a cooling capacity of 1235 W in a very compact design – 395 x 748 x 237 mm only.

It is available in 3 models; DTS 3141 (NEMA Type 12) for indoor use, DTS 3161 (NEMA Type 3R/4) designed for outdoor use, and the stainless steel DTS 3181 (NEMA Type 4/4x) designed for washdown applications.

The full DTS 3000 series was designed utilizing high temperature compressors and larger condensers to best perform in outdoor applications which require a maximum ambient temperature of 55 °C – such as roadside, rooftop or desert locations.

NEMA rating can be compared with IP rating – although there is no direct correspondence – but the first one is more complete and also includes other factors such as the protection from corrosion. NEMA Type 3R/4 is equivalent to IP 56. Moreover, Pfannenberg cooling units from NEMA series are UL listed.

 

“Our relationship with Kuadrotek is strengthened thanks to the reliability of the products already used in other large photovoltaic plants in the world. This is also why Kuadrotek continues to choose our products over our competitors.” Xavier Pedescoll – Sales Area Manager. Pfannenberg Iberia

 

Facts at a glance

  • Task: Control cabinet cooling in the Negev desert, Israel.
  • Application: Ashalim power station, a PV-solarthermal plant
  • Solution: n.12 DTS 3161 230 V cooling units
  • Success factors:
    • high quality products
    • highest level of protection for extreme outdoor conditions
    • long term agreement with Pfannenberg regarding warranty and worldwide support.
Marine Vienney

Pfannenberg’s Air/Water Heat Exchangers withstand dust, dirt, and even sterile environments

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Pfannenberg’s Air To Water Heat Exchangers offer a solution to fix your thermal management problems in washdown areas, areas with high amounts of particulate or even sterile environments.

Built for both harsh and sterile environments:

The sealed cabinet provides contaminant-free component cooling without adding heat to the local environment. It provides an excellent economic solution where plant water is available or when used in conjunction with a process chiller.  It’s sealed design and available stainless steel, NEMA Type 4/4X construction provides a maintenance free solution with no exposed fans or maintenance of filters required.

With IP 56 protection, our Air To Water Heat Exchangers satisfy the toughest environments. They are available with a corrosion protected hood in brushed stainless steel with epoxy-coated copper pipes and condensers; they offer reliable protection against alkaline solutions and acids. As a high-temperature model, they are also suitable for use in hot environments with temperatures ranging up to 140 °F (60 °C).

Customized solution for Pharmaceutical Industry

Customer Requirement

A system integrator contacted Pfannenberg looking for a thermal management solution for their customer’s plant expansion project. The original design called for building a control panel with supported thermal management for a pharmaceutical application. The challenge was that this system would be located in a Class I, Div II environment, meaning the enclosure and components had to be explosion proof. To remain competitive in price, the system integrator needed an alternate solution to an explosion proof AC unit.

The Pfannenberg Solution

Our engineering team worked closely with the system integrator to develop a solution. The pharmaceutical plant did have water available (60°F at 7gpm flow) and there were no size constraints. Our solution was a customized PWS Air/Water Heat Exchanger.

The solution included:

  • Increasing the overall envelope of the panel
  • Mounting a customized PWS Air to Water Heat Exchanger directly inside the panel
  • The enclosure remained sterile and explosion proof because everything remained inside the cabinet

Customer Benefits

Installing the thermal management product inside the enclosure meant reduced installation and maintenance costs for the customer. In addition the end user also saves money as their available water is used to cool the enclosures. The Air to Water Heat Exchanger provides sustainable efficiency and reliable performance in harsh environments.

Marine Vienney

Pfannenberg EB Chillers: Tailor-made Solution for a Rail Component Manufacturer

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Customer Requirement

A rail component manufacturer needed a solution to eliminate downtime caused from the overheating of their track drilling unit.  The current system used 2 undersized chillers, unable to keep up with the cooling requirements, especially when the ambient temperatures in the plant rose due to the hot afternoon sun.

The Pfannenberg Solution

An analysis carried out on location with the customer revealed that the cooling capacity of the two chillers no longer corresponded with the current requirements.  The cooling system needed to be redesigned.

Taking the temporarily intermittent high ambient temperature in the factory into account, the choice fell on our high performance EB 90 chiller.  This unit has an integrated control module which allows for precise temperature control of the cooling medium.EB_Chiller_drawing.jpg

The solution excels due to:

  • Separate cooling and hydraulic circuits
  • Control module to program small hysteresis of the oil temperature
  • Use at ambient temperatures of up to +40°C
  • Sturdy steel housing with thick powder coating

Customer Benefits

As a result of our plant audit, the customer was able to invest in a new solution that was tailor-made to meet their current needs instead of spending money on a temporary, expensive and insufficient repair of their old chiller system.  The new solution ensures the desired machine uptime even during those days affected by the hot sun.  A new maintenance contract was signed to support the optimum functionality of the equipment for the long term.

Have a question regarding which equipment is best for your application? Contact our engineering team for more information!

Pfannenberg, Inc. is a global manufacturer of Thermal Management, Liquid Cooling Solutions and Signaling Technologies.

Pfannenberg is proud to provide solutions as a single source to its customers. Our business philosophy – Protection for man, machine and the environment.

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Case Study: Pfannenberg Thermal Management Solutions for Harsh Marine Environment

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Customer Requirement

An OEM machine builder in the Marine industry needed a thermal management solution that was NEMA Type 4/4X rated, but also resistant to highly corrosive salt spray (fog).  In an industry that encounters very harsh environments, it is crucial to be able to have a product that will be able to withstand such conditions.

The Pfannenberg Solution

To meet the customer’s specific requirements, we provided our PWS Air to Water Heat Exchangers with the 316 Stainless Steel option.

We offered a unit:

  • Which is very resistant to corrosion and oxidation (316 Stainless Steel) compared to the 304 Stainless Steel
  • That can be configured with a different heat exchanger when salt water is used for the cooling supply water
  • With an “easy to mount” seal, no elaborate reworking of the mounting cut-out
  • With an integrated thermostat and solenoid valve for temperature control

Customer Benefits

The customer was satisfied with these highly resistant units that are perfectly adapted to marine environment. Thanks to Pfannenberg’s Air to Water Heat Exchangers the customer was able to reduce downtime and maintenance costs.

Have a question regarding which equipment is best for your application? Contact our engineering team for more information!

Pfannenberg, Inc. is a global manufacturer of Thermal Management, Liquid Cooling Solutions and Signaling Technologies.

Pfannenberg is proud to provide solutions as a single source to its customers. Our business philosophy – Protection for man, machine and the environment.

Marine Vienney

Drinktec 2017: Pfannenberg to exhibit for the first time

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Pfannenberg, the specialist for industrial thermal management solutions and signaling technology will be exhibiting for the first time at Drinktec, the world’s leading trade fair for the beverage and liquid food industry to be held in Munich from 11 to 15 September 2017.

Pfannenberg will be at stand 138 in Hall B3 showing tough, efficient thermal management solutions and signaling technology for the beverage and liquid food industry.

Visitors will be able to see the latest signaling technology and thermal management solutions for the food and beverage industry at stand 138 in Hall B3. Exhibits will include cooling units with corrosion resistant stainless-steel covers and robust signaling devices with high IP classifications. These products are designed for the toughest environments and are therefore suitable for use where liquids are processed and in production systems which require frequent cleaning.

A demo stainless-steel cabinet demonstrating these features will show a NEMA cooling unit, an air/water heat exchanger including a water jet test, a DTT top-mount cooling unit, a stainless steel rainhood and filterfans in stainless steel design.

“Food production places great demands on manufacturing technology. Our efficient, reliable and tough cooling and signaling technology guarantees maximum machine availability in the fast-cycling and highly dynamic processes in the food and beverage industry, starting with raw material processing through manufacture and quality control to packaging,” explains Annarita Amadei, Industry Group Manager Food and Beverage at Pfannenberg.

IoT-enabled packaged solution
The communication-enabled cooling units in the εCool X series that will be exhibited are ideal for companies wanting to make their production fit for Industry 4.0 and at the same time improve machine availability. These thermal management solutions for electrical enclosures can be integrated directly in the user’s automation systems. If required, they can also provide relevant device parameters via the Cloud for remote maintenance. Users benefit from customized maintenance, cost-efficient service and better machine availability thanks to preventative maintenance.

Reliable cooling
Modern production systems such as filling lines are usually permanently in operation. The cooling units and filterfans from Pfannenberg are fitted with IP 56 housing and corrosion-proof stainless-steel covers which makes them the optimum solution for the economical cooling of electrical enclosure technology.

Exhibits at Drinktec will include the new compact 6301C cooling units from the εCool 6000 series. Their power, and their compact design in particular, make them suitable for use in a wide range of applications.

Despite their space-saving design they offer the same energy efficiency, service friendliness and cut-out compatibility as the standard models: they cut energy consumption compared to traditional cooling devices by up to 43%, with a further 10% reduction in standby operation.

Tailor-made process cooling
In particularly sensitive areas of food and drink manufacture, the maintenance-free air to water heat exchangers and the EB series industrial chillers allow economic system solutions which work independently of the ambient air. Typical areas of application are filling lines and packaging systems. Pfannenberg chillers – with cooling capacities from 3.2 to 148.8 kW – cool sophisticated electronic systems. Both standard ready to-use units and fully customized ones can be provided.

This will be demonstrated at Drinktec with the EB 95 WT. Starting from the compactly designed, highly efficient and easy to service standard unit, this chiller can be equipped with several additional features to match specific applications.

For example, all devices can be equipped with a hydraulic bypass, a SMP55 controller with error messages panel and a ASI communication module enables the unit to be integrated the in the customer’s system. The EB devices are UL certified and can be used at ambient temperatures from -20 °C to +45 °C. All chillers in the range allow users to benefit from lower energy and operating costs, space-saving installation, high reliability and long machine life.

Robust signaling technology
Signaling-2.jpgWith high levels of ambient noise, the manufacture of beverages and liquid food makes serious demands on signaling technology. The status of packaging, laser inscription or filling machines and lines must be permanently displayed so that response times can be optimized and costly downtime minimized. Warning lights and acoustic alarms must signal hazards, risks or technical faults immediately, even in the vicinity of noisy conveyors operating at full capacity. Against this background, combinations of visual and audible signaling devices are the best choice.

Signaling technology suitable for operation in production environments such as these will be exhibited:

  • The BR 50 tower lights / stacklights: This device is of a modular construction and uses sound and flashing, blinking or solid lights to signal statuses and dangerous situations reliably
  • The QUADRO and LED-HI multi function lights
  • the PYRA sounder/flashing light combinations
  • the PATROL and DS sounders

All of which are suitable for use in the demanding conditions of the drink and liquid food industry, will also be exhibited.

Topics: Thermal Management, Industrial Safety & Signaling Solutions, Trade Show