PARTNER IN PORTABLE POWER DISTRIBUTION 1800 338 979
Heat is both a by-product and one of the greatest enemies of electrical and electronic components. If not dissipated, this heat has the potential to cause early failures and malfunctions.
The primary purpose of electrical enclosures is to provide protection and safety for the components they house. If an enclosure is properly cooled, the components within can have a long and useful life. Without proper cooling, however, the components in these enclosures can be subject to damaging heat, shortening their longevity and reliability.
Although individual manufacturer’s specifications vary, the majority of electrical distribution and control equipment is designed to operate properly and achieve normal life expectancy under ambient air conditions ranging from 25 – 40°C
The real cost of not having thermal management is not a known cost upfront but will quickly add up in downtime and maintenance and the cost of replacement of components and labour to do the repairs.
We have developed a Thermal Management System that keeps your Power Distribution Boards and Switchboards at the optimum temperature for longevity and continuous operation.
TMS550 Thermal management assemblies
Electrical enclosure closed loop heat exchangers
25 Watts per ° K = 550 W at 20°K
IP65 tested and rated for outdoor and indoor applications.
Outdoor environments, harsh environments, and indoor environments where closed loop cooling is required.
Overall Size:
520 X 190MM , Cutout 440 x 117mm
Custom Size Available:
We can also customise the size of this thermal management system to suit your switchboard. Talk to us.
TMS Lid Only – Did you know that if you are already a Powersafe customer and have any of our LB01 or MB01 Boards, our Thermal Management System lid can replace the existing lid to convert your lower amp powerboard into a more versatile thermally managed solution.
What Would A Thermal Management Solution Save You?
To Understand Why Thermal Management Is Important Let’s Discuss The 3 Most Common Types Of Thermal Management:
Cheapest method at point of purchase but maintenance of internal components will be greater if the enclosure temperature becomes greater then the manufacturer of the components operating temperature and will not meet the required standards in this application.
Pros:
Cons:
Ventilates the cabinet by circulating fresh ambient air and exhausting heat away for the components.
Not the best solution due to dust ingress but far better for thermal efficiency then the method 1 of natural convention. Will increase the lifespan of internal components but is subject to allowing moisture and dust ingress into the enclosure.
Pros:
Cons :
Closed loop cooling is where a sealed enclosure cooling does not allow outside elements inside the enclosure. Best method for operating in high temperatures and or if there is solar gain (exposed to direct sunlight) or when the enclosure is deployed in harsh environments.
Pros :
Cons :
Did you know that in 2019 the Australian Standards Changed so that now all Powerboards that manage a higher voltage must be able to manage their temperature
The cause of many commercial and industrial fires and power supply issues are due to overheating of switchboards.
Are you experiencing:-
● Melted Cables
● Burnt Cables
● Loss of power supply
● Electrocution
If you are drawing more current, then what the RDF factor on the power board is rated by the manufacturer then, without thermal management you run the risk of overheating the assembly which can lead to premature failure or catastrophic failure of components.
AS/NZS 61439 tells us that for boards greater than 125 Amps the assembly must be tested as a complete system – the old standards (AS/NZS 3439 ) allowed Type testing or partial type testing in “Free Air” .
Under 125 Amps, the assembly is not required to be tested as a complete assembly, but verification can be achieved largely by assessment, including adherence to manufacturers instructions.
The only true way to do the assessment on an outdoor enclosure is to test the assembly and make sure it does not exceed the components rated ambient operating temperature. In an outdoor enclosure the operating temperature of most RCD and RCBO can be exceeded in a very short period of running time.
If the load on the assembly is going to be greater than the RDF rating without thermal management, YES it is, for compliance to the standards, lifespan of the components and the safety of the operation of the assembly.
The cost of replacing defective components over the lifespan of the assembly will generally far out way the cost of thermal management at the time of purchase.
The rated diversity factor is the per unit value of the rated current, assigned by the assembly manufacturer, to which the outgoing circuits of an assembly can be continuously and simultaneously loaded taking into account the mutual thermal influences.
Basically, if you had a 100-amp board, with a RDF of 0.5, then you can load the board to 50 amps and remain in a “safe” operating limit without overheating the assembly. Beyond this (particularly if done regularly) you will be stressing the components, causing premature failure or worse still – catastrophic failure.
Damaged circuit breakers (from overheating) may not perform properly when excessive currents occur. Instead of tripping when excessive or dangerous current occurs, damaged circuits may continue to let electricity flow, leading to overheating and possible arcing and /or electrical fires.
Absolutely… Under Australian standards in AS/NZS 3000 and AS61439 there is a requirement to verify the thermal management and the RDF factor of the circuits that this was tested at.
All electrical and electronic components are subject to failure due to overheating. High temperatures will reduce the lifespan of the components significantly and possibly lead to the component not providing the protection it was designed to do.
NESMA is the body that represents member interests in the Electrical Switchboard Manufacturing industry throughout Australia. Formed to advance the art and science of low voltage switchboard design and manufacturing in Australia.