Designers at TECA Corp., Chicago, have developed an air conditioner for electronics enclosures, the AHP-690, which delivers more heating and cooling than the company’s similarly sized devices, the AHP-400 and 500 thermoelectric air conditioners. The new air conditioner measures 10 Ñ 6 Ñ 8.5 in. and can output 467 Btu/hr of cooling power.
Designers added advanced technology and kept the same size to meet customer demand for smaller, more powerful cooling devices. For example, the new heat exchanger features high-density extruded aluminum, more durable and reliable fans. The fans are the only moving parts in the devices, and there are no compressors, fluorocarbons, or filters. The overall design was also tweaked to perform better, including active heating, passive heat exchange, and active cooling. As a result, the AHP-690 provides 55% more cooling capacity than coolers of similar size.
As a closed-loop enclosure cooler, the 15-lb AHP-690 protects electronics from overheating in harsh environments. Versions come equipped with industrial or military-grade fans suitable for NEMA-4X enclosures. All units can be mounted in any orientation.
Possible applications include cooling and heating of mobile electronics, alarm systems, kiosks, communications enclosures, military cases, control panels, and anywhere thermal protection for an enclosure is required. Reliable thermoelectric technology is a good, maintenance-free cooling method for hard-to-access areas.