heaters Why do we need a panel heater? Whenever the ambient temperature around the control panel exceeds the temperature inside the control panel, condensation occur inside the control panel. Humidity may be deposited as condensation water on the devices and terminals in the control panel, leading to malfunction and short circuits. A simple solution is heating the inside of the control panel. This ensures that the temperature inside the control panel is always a little bit higher than the outside temperature, thus avoiding condensation. Using panel heaters to protect equipment from overheating is also required thus a thermostat is also required. Manufacturer guidelines for heaters Heat demand The heat demand (watt) and the selection of the appropriate heating plate depends on different factors such as:
Size of the control panel Place of installation Relative humidity and temp. Typical manufacturer guidelines for wattage selection
What is watt of power per square meter necessary to generate enough energy to raise the temperature of an enclosure 1F in a metallic enclosure. To prevent condensation, the enclosure should be 2 to 3F above the ambient air temperature. To determine total watts followings are steps for outdoor equipments : Step-1: Determine the total surface area of the enclosure. Step-2: Multiply by the amount of power needed to raise the temperature 1F (2.2 W/Sqm). Step-3: Multiply by a factor equal to the number of degrees above ambient the internal temp is required. Guidelines of manufacturer (ABB) Thank you