COST OF COOLING

Robert Eppich– Eppich Technologies; AFS Energy Coordinator

Rob Lepage– bitCraft EmbeddedEnergy Solutions

Equipment that must be Cooled

• Electronic Control Cabinets

• Amine Gas Generators

Typical Approach

• Open the cabinet door

• Open the door and set a fan in front of cabinet

• Open the door and blow compressed air on the component

• If the above fails – do something different

What’s Something Different

Install a vortex cooler

– Air is always available

– No maintenance is required

– Relatively inexpensive to buy

Vortex Cooler

• Not Adiabatic Cooling

• Spin Compressed Air at High Velocity

•Hot to the outside

•Cold to the inside

Not the Whole Story

1500 Btu/hr

• With dew point of air at -40F

• At 100 psi

• Ambient around 75F

Actual Rating - around 625 Btu/hr

With dew point of air at +40F

Air Pressure at 70psi

Compressed air temperature at 100F

Flow through Vortex Cooler

(scfm)

Compressor (Kwh)

Cost/year at 24/7

$0.07/kWh

Cost per operating

year (16 X 5 X 48)

Cost per 50% of

operating year

21 3.91 $2,400 $1,052 $52626 4.66 $2,972 $1,303 $65130 5.59 $3,429 $1,503 $752

Cooling Evaluation Program in Wisconsin

Instrument two control cabinets

Neenah Foundry, Neenah WINeenah Foundry, Neenah WI

AFS Corporate memberAFS Corporate member

Save Energy Now LeaderSave Energy Now Leader

Neenah currently has 68 vortexNeenah currently has 68 vortex cooling units in operation cooling units in operation

Annual cost $3000 each.Annual cost $3000 each.

Running 24-7Running 24-7

• Cabinet temperature visual alarm

• Data logger with GSM/cell phone upload to website

• Electrical power meter

• Cabinet and ambient temperature probes

• Instrumentation power input

• Instrumentation power

• Monitored power duplex receptacle

• Compressed air flow meter

• Cabinet Cooling Instrumentation System

Instrument two control cabinets

Energy savings

Annual cost of operation: $3000 ea.

• @ .07 KwH = 42,857 KwH each vortex cooler

• 68 vortex coolers = 2,914,285 KwH

• Preset temp controller to 85oF with shut off over temp.

• Min 50% reduction in energy

• Units were essentially over cooling and running too much.

Operating Cost in May 2010 for AC vs. Vortex

• Operating Cost for vortex cooler $87/hot month plus purge air of 2cfm ($18/month)

• Operating Cost for Conventional AC Unit $3.20/hot month plus purge air of 2cfm ($18/month)

ALTERNATIVES

Type of Cooling System

Cost to Purchase

Cost to Operate 24/7

Vortex Cooling $549 $2,974Vortex Cooling with solenoid

Incremental Cost $500

Thermoelectric $2,189 $587Conventional AC $1,326 $258Heat Pipe $950 $29

CHOOSE WISELY • Find out the maximum recommended

cabinet operating temperature

• There are alternatives

– AC Units (will cool below ambient)

– Thermoelectric (will cool below ambient)

– Heat Pipes (will not cool below ambient)

• Don’t Overcool