What is Enclosure Thermal Management

Enclosure Thermal management involves controlling the internal temperature of electrical enclosures through various methods. This is achieved by transferring heat either out of or into the enclosure to maintain an optimal operating temperature for the equipment.

Why is enclosure thermal management needed?

Enclosure thermal management is critical for maintaining the performance and safety of electrical systems. Without proper temperature control, excessive heat can accelerate insulation aging, degrade equipment precision, and lead to premature failure of components. By regulating internal temperatures, thermal management extends the lifespan and reliability of devices, ensuring consistent performance. It also reduces maintenance and replacement costs while safeguarding against risks such as electrical fires and short circuits, ultimately improving both operational efficiency and system safety.

2 Enclosure Thermal Management Solutions

There are passive and active solutions for enclosure thermal management. The passive enclosure thermal management solution is in the following:

Increasing the size of the enclosure: A larger enclosure provides more space for heat dissipation.

Optimizing Ventilation: Place enclosure heat dissipation and ventilation environment.

Repositioning Components: Changing the layout of power loads and repositioning cables carefully.

Improving Airflow: Managing air flows by leaving enough space between devices and using natural convection and ventilation with grilles.

The active thermal management solutions for electrical enclosure include thermal control devices like enclosure thermostats, forced convection with fans, ventilators and air-conditioners, air-water and air-air exchangers, and Resistance heaters.

This article will mainly introduce two active thermal management solutions for you.

When to Use

Cold Environments: When ambient temperatures drop below freezing, as in outdoor installations.

Condensation Risk： To reduce moisture and corrosion inside the enclosure.

Day-Night Temperature Fluctuations: Enclosures may need cooling during the day and heating at night.

Method 1: Maintaining a Consistent Temperature in an Enclosure

How to maintain a consistent temperature in an enclosure?

You need to install enclosure Heater at the bottom of the cabinet. Ad for smaller electrical cabinets, a basic enclosure heater is needed, while larger ones may require fan-assisted heaters for uniform heat distribution.

Besides, this enclosure temperature control method usually requires an enclosure thermostat, humidistat, etc. to control the heater or fan. You need set point Thermostats and Hygrostats. Currently on the market are DIN rail-mounting Tamperproof thermostats, Adjustable thermostats, Adjustable Dual-set point Thermostats, and digital enclosure thermostats. When the cabinet temperature is below the set point or the humidity is above the set point, the thermostat will turn on or off the connected device, such as the fan or heater.

Method 2: Cooling a Control Enclosure

As for this enclosure thermal management solution, the common methods are enclosure fans and enclosure air conditioners.

Enclosure Fans are suitable for environments with moderate heat where forced airflow can suffice. Typically used with enclosure thermostats to regulate operation based on temperature.

Enclosure Air Conditioners are required for enclosures exposed to high heat loads or where the ambient temperature is consistently high.

By combining passive and active methods effectively, you can ensure optimal temperature management, safeguard sensitive components, and extend the lifespan of your enclosure systems.

How to select enclosure thermal management solution?

In this part, you will learn how select enclosure thermal management solution from enclosure heaters, enclosure fans, and enclosure air conditioners. If you want to know how to choose enclosure thermostat, please contact us directly.

How to choose a heater?

Step1. Determine the Enclosure Surface Area (A) exposed to open air.

Step2. Determine the Temperature Differential between the Desired enclosure interior temperature and the Lowest ambient (outside) temperature.

Step 3. Determine Component Heating Power (PV). That is, based on internal components’ efficiency, you need to add heat to a control enclosure.

Step4. Calculate the required Heating Power (PH) based on the previous values.

How to choose a cabinet fan?

Step1. Sizing an Enclosure Fan based on fan cubic feet per minute (CFM) required

Step2. Determine the amount of heat to be removed (watts) and the maximum temperature differential.

How to choose cabinet air conditioner?

Sizing an Air Conditioner based on internal heat load generated by electrical enclosure components and heat load transfer through enclosure walls from the surrounding ambient air.

Application of enclosure thermal management

Electrical control cabinet: The heat generated by motors, inverters and other equipment needs to be dissipated in time.

Communication cabinet: The heat generated by long-term operation of communication equipment needs to be effectively managed.

Server cabinet: The high-density deployment of servers in data centers puts higher requirements on heat dissipation.

Industrial automation equipment: The operating environment of industrial field equipment is complex, and the impact of various factors on heat dissipation needs to be considered.