FOOD
PROCESSING
PROBLEM:
Heat sinks collect materials in food processing plant
... if they are not washed clean.
A long standing customer with food processing plants has
used dozens of TECA Model
AHP1200X air conditioners over the years. The
air-conditioners worked great, except for one
thing....... after years of service, the units would
come back to TECA with their heat sinks and fans
clogged with a hardened paste which seems to be made
from corn flower, water and dirt!
SOLUTION:
Change from air to liquid cooling of the customers
equipment.
Working
with this customer for a better solution; TECA
developed a liquid cooled version of
AHP1200X. This means that there is no heat sink
and no fan on the outside of the customer’s enclosure.
This customer uses available re-cycling plant water
coupled with TECA’s liquid heat exchanger to
remove the waste heat.
MANUFACTURING
PROBLEM:
Video cameras needed to function in an environment
beyond their rated temperature range.
One of our customers wanted to position cameras to observe
a process from a location not safe for operators to go.
The customer is a rubber manufacturer and the camera
location was too hot for the cameras to work in. The
customer had the cameras, but had no suitable enclosure,
or cooling apparatus.
SOLUTION:
TECA adapted a tiny air conditioner based on Model
AHP150XE
to mount to a standard commercial enclosure. The package
was completed by retrofitting the cameras with insulation and special cooling
units. The design satisfied our customer’s needs to a “T”.
ROOFTOP
EQUIPMENT ENCLOSURE
PROBLEM: Construct
a demonstration life test to illustrate the durability
of TECA Thermoelectric Cooling.
As of this writing, the system
has been operating trouble free for over 40,000 hours.
Back in March of 2001 TECA
Corporation engineering team set up a test to evaluate
functionality and life of it’s then new
XE series of solid state thermoelectric air
conditioners under real life out door environment
conditions.
Model AHP-1800XEHC
Heat/Cool air conditioner was chosen as a representative
model.
Photos of the
system under test, click on the images for larger view.
SOLUTION: Place a
working computer system within a protective enclosure on
an exposed rooftop – maintain temperature with a TECA
sold state air conditioner.
The unit is installed on a 2’ X 3’
X 3’ stainless steel enclosure with a Pentium Class
tower case computer and a 15” CRT monitor inside running
continuously. The enclosure is mounted 10” above the roof
of the TECA Corporation building and is exposed
entirely
to the elements. Several sensors inside and outside of the
enclosure sense the internal and ambient temperatures
and relay the readings to a Data Acquisition Board
installed in the computer. The data is accessible from
engineering office workstation via network connections.
The computer and monitor running continuously inside the
enclosure also act as a “heat load”.
The AHP-1800XEHC is set up
by means of the standard
TC-3F to keep the internal
temperature of the enclosure between 35C Maximum and 10C
minimum by functioning either as an air conditioner or
as a heater. When the temperature inside the enclosure
rises above 35C the
AHP-1800XEHC switches to cooling
mode and lowers the temperature. When the temperature
inside enclosure drops to 10C the
AHP-1800XEHC switches
to heat mode and raises the temperature.
Temperature charts,
click on the images for larger view.
PERFORMANCE
TESTING
PROBLEM: Need to test low-temperature performance of
inertial measuring devices.
In this application of low
temperature thermoelectric cooling; the user is testing
inertial measurement devices over
a
temperature range. The devices as well as the TECA
cascaded cooling assembly are subjected to various
rotational and acceleration stimuli while device
temperature is controlled.
SOLUTION:
The cascaded cooler was built up from a standard
Model
AHP301CP
cold plate.
The finished test fixture was able to function with
a maximum rotation rate of 1700 degrees per second and
50g acceleration. The rotation is evident in the photo.
By using a standard product as the basis for the cooling
system, higher costs associated with a custom solution
were avoided.
AEROSPACE
MANUFACTURING QC
PROBLEM:
Modify a standard model chiller to meet a highly
specialized requirement, including liquid cooling, 24
VDC input and wall mounting.
SOLUTION: This
recirculating liquid chiller was developed for a
customer who needed something similar to the TECA
LHP-300CP
chiller; but it had to be a liquid
cooled liquid chiller - it had to be 24 VDC input - and
it had to be mounted on the wall! The application is
X-Ray inspection of aircraft engine parts. Temperature
controlled water is circulated through a heat exchanger
which is keeping photo diodes nice and cool, assuring
quality X-Ray imaging.
PAPER MILL
PROBLEM:
The environment of a paper mill is hostile to most
equipment. Could a thermoelectric cooler stand up to
such conditions?
SOLUTION:
TECA’s Model
AHP-1200X Solid State Air Conditioner
This TECA model
AHP-1200X
was returned to TECA for evaluation, after over 120,000
hours of duty. It just did not seem to cool as
much any more. As a matter of fact,
it was originally put to work in 1992 cooling an
electronic enclosure in a paper mill. The customer was
sure it needed to be replaced, but sent it back to us to
see if anything could be salvaged. In our inspection we
found that the hot side heat sink was fouled with 14
years of newsprint sludge. Once the goop was cleaned out
and the fan was free to spin; the unit ran like a charm!
COMMUNICATIONS
PROBLEM:
Maintain the temperature of a battery bank in
a Class 1 Division 2 explosion proof environment to
power portable communications equipment.
A
special purpose vehicle manufacturer needed to maintain
the temperature of a bank of batteries to maintain
maximum performance.
SOLUTION:
With our
recommendation, the customer selected the TECA
Model
AHP1800XP, because it is the only
NEMA4X air conditioner available off-the-shelf, which
is also certified for C1D2 use. The power source
was able to meet the requirement of operation in a Class
1 Division 2 explosion proof environment, to support
portable communications systems at car racing venues.
BOTTLING QC
PROBLEM:
Cool control panels
of Quality Control equipment, with limited space
available.
A
manufacturer of quality control equipment used in
automated bottling operations needs to provide cooling
for the control panels of high speed quality-control
machines for his customer's production lines.
SOLUTION: TECA
FHP750
air conditioner.
This air conditioner is
externally mounted so it does not intrude into the
customer's useable enclosure space. A flush mounted air
conditioner was important in this case because of
limited space inside the panels.
TRANSPORTATION
PROBLEM:
Standardize on one air conditioner for application on
enclosures with many different heat-load conditions.
An air conditioner was needed
as a special purpose cooler for electrical enclosures on
a World Class rapid transit system. The customer has
hundreds of air conditioned enclosures in their system,
with different heat load conditions, but for reasons of
economy, they wanted to standardize on one air
conditioner model.
SOLUTION:
TECA developed a new model,
the
AHP-1501 for this customer.
For
adding cooling capacity, the Model
AHP1501 can be mounted line to line
in compact groups of up to (6) units. It operates from
120 volts and 240 volts, has a built in temperature
control and has now been made an off the shelf offering
for all of our customers.
FOOD
PROCESSING
PROBLEM:
A European manufacturer of special equipment for
processing fruits and vegetables needed to cool
sensitive electronics on their line of
produce-processing machines, which sort products by
color, size and weight.
SOLUTION:
TECA Model
AHP1200XE solid state air
conditioners.
The equipment in use is washed
down frequently, so the Model
AHP1200XE is ideal because it is
designed to meet NEMA4 and suitable for wash-down
environments, while it also
carries the CE Mark.
TRANSPORTATION
PROBLEM: A specialist manufacturer of transport cases needed to
protect electronic equipment from harsh, high stress
conditions in transport, needed a suitable way to add
cooling.
SOLUTION:
TECA Model
AHP1201XE
solid state air conditioners.
The
AHP1201XE is designed and certified
for use in NEMA4 environments including wash-down
and outdoor installation. Our customer also opted for
dual voltage capability (120/240 VAC) with a voltage
selection switch.
MOTOR SPORT
PROBLEM: A
rally car racing team had a need to chill drinking water
inside their moving vehicles, while they raced through
very hot desert conditions.
SOLUTION: A
solid state cold plate based on TECA model
AHP-300CP.
The
AHP-300CP,
which draws power directly from the car battery, was the
solution to maintain the temperature of the water at an
acceptable level. With a ready supply of chilled water,
the racing team could drive at peak performance.
AVIONICS
PROBLEM:
A branch of the US military had an overheating problem
with a high-tech radio inside the wing of a fighter
aircraft.
SOLUTION:
TECA custom, high-performance cold plate.
TECA developed the solution by making custom cold
plates that withstand the shock, vibration, and G forces
created by one of the most technically advanced
aircraft. In order to assure maximum strength with
minimum weight, TECA's Advanced Machining Center
machines the finned heat sinks for each cooler from a
single blocks of material.
MATERIAL HANDLING
EQUIPMENT:
PROBLEM:
A motor and drive manufacturer was experiencing
over heating problems with an overhead hoist and crane.
Heat buildup in overhead hoist, but space within the
enclosure was at a premium.
SOLUTION:
A model FHP-2850 flush mount solid state air conditioner offered a
non-invasive solution to maintain the enclosure
temperature, allowing the variable frequency drives to
function normally under all operating conditions.
VIDEO
PROJECTION
PROBLEM: A ruggedized enclosure for a military video projector
caused excessive heat to build up from the high wattage
bulb.
SOLUTION: A
more rugged version of TECA's
AHP-1200FF thermoelectric
cooler / solid state air conditioner is used by military
to cool a projector.
For detail information such as inlet and outlet air
temperatures etc.... open the PDF file.
For
detail information such as inlet and outlet air
temperatures etc.... click on the image and open the PDF
file.
COMMUNICATIONS
PROBLEM:
A major manufacturer of communications equipment was to
go into production of special equipment enclosures, then
encountered unforeseen problems with overheating
electronics deep inside. 
The customer wanted air conditioning, but
specified that no part of the air conditioner could
protrude outside of their enclosure.
SOLUTION: TECA
designed a little air conditioner inside ducts for hot
air exhaust. This way the air conditioner is actually
housed entirely inside the enclosure and our customer
continues production.
CONSUMER ELECTRONICS
PROBLEM:
A
consumer electronics manufacturer needed a
thermoelectric cold plate with variable height to help
stabilize a process in an assembly line.
SOLUTION:
Modified version of TECA Model
AHP1200CP
solid state cold plate
The AHP1200CP had the correct cooling
capacity but was not the same height as the assembly
process. We added continuously-adjustable feet for a
low cost solution that used standard parts. This is now
an available option on standard units.
ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL
PROBLEM:
A municipal waste plant had an emergency requirement for
a water drop device (to condense moisture for analysis)
to be installed in a smokestack.
SOLUTION:
In this time critical application TECA responded
with a custom designed variation of the
AHP-150CP
cold plate, to be mounted high up in the stack. Working
with the customer TECA
was able to design and deliver the product in less than
two weeks, more than meeting the customer’s timetable.
OUTDOOR
KIOSK APPLIANCE STATIONS
PROBLEM:
An original equipment manufacturer designed a new
outdoor information
kiosk and required a small cooling solution, before they
could start up manufacturing.
SOLUTION:
TECA Model
AHP300XE
Solid State Air Conditioner.
We
consulted with the customer's engineers and recommended
TECA Model
AHP300XE, to provide the necessary cooling in
a compact size. The
AHP300XE is an ideal choice for the
application because it is a NEMA4 solid state air
conditioner, designed for outdoor use.
FACTORY AUTOMATION
PROBLEM:
An automation manufacturer required exact
temperature control in a system for pharmaceutical
research and development.
SOLUTION:
TECA Model
FHP-2850
solid
state air conditioners provide temperature control for a
highly complex plate storage/imaging system.
Up to 754
plates are stored in the system, with random access for
scheduled internal plate imaging. The remainder of the
system generates the plates used in various experiments
and dispenses small-volumes of chemicals, then seals and
returns the plates in storage.
Excess heat could cause a system failure.
ELECTRONIC
IMAGING
PROBLEM: A leading manufacturer of video cameras and mobile electronics
communications for law
enforcement needed a dependable source thermoelectric
coolers.
The
company had been “thrown for a loop” when their previous
thermoelectric vendor admitted that they couldn't meet
the delivery promised on a standard cooling assembly.
SOLUTION:
An engineer for the vendor responded that TECA
was the best choice if they wanted quality and delivery.
One
week and several phone calls later, 16 customized
assemblies based on TECA's model
AHP-150FF
were
delivered in time for testing and installation.
QUALITY TESTING
PROBLEM: An
Electronics manufacturer needed to test their equipment
at various temperatures and no standard chamber met the
requirements.
They needed to manually ramp and soak
their products from -10 C to 65C.
SOLUTION:
By adding a custom cover to a TECA Model
AHP-1200CPHC
solid state cold plate the customer created what amounts
to a mini environmental chamber, able to have fine
temperature control and to evaluate performance in hot
or cold environments.
MILITARY COMMUNICATIONS
PROBLEM:
A branch of the US military had a
need for cooling a small enclosure containing a critical
voice communication system.
The shipboard system had to be resistant
to salt water corrosion as well as pass stringent shock
and vibration testing.
SOLUTION:
A modification to TECAs
AHP-300X
solid air
conditioner allowed the unit to meet specializing and
air flow requirements and pass these tests. The
challenge was to overcome the small available space
both inside and outside the enclosure. The heat sinks
were turned so that the heat rejection air flow and
internal cold side air flow moved in different
directions.
This unit is a prime example of how
flexible Team TECA is when customer needs require
customization of standard products.
NUCLEAR
ENERGY
PROBLEM:
Need to cool equipment used for quality control
inspection of pipes in nuclear energy plants.
Evaluating the condition of pipes in nuclear power plants
can be time consuming and costly. Automated and remote
guided methods are available. Much of the electronics
for the job must be rugged and durable, capable of
handling many environmental conditions.
SOLUTION:
TECA designed, tested and built a system around
standard portable cases. The unit shown is the prototype
of the production unit, built into the top of a
transportation case.
Doing
the design and prototype work of this nature often leads
to happy customers and production jobs for TECA, as it did in this
case!
AVIONICS
MAINTENANCE
PROBLEM:
Create a portable cooling system for diagnostic
equipment to allow troubleshooting of avionics systems
while still installed.
Troubleshooting and diagnosing avionics problems is hard
enough on the bench. To save valuable time, technicians
would rather get it done while the electronics are still
in the aircraft. Also, under harsh environments, it is
difficult to keep cutting edge electronics functioning
the way they should.
SOLUTION:
When it came to the type of portable cooling for the
diagnostic equipment required for these jobs; a navy
contractor came to TECA for the solution. We
helped design and build the solution shown in its
prototype form around the portable enclosure. TECA
completed the project on a tight schedule, which called
for teamwork and attention to detail.
LABORATORY
PROBLEM:
Chill liquids being circulated by a peristaltic pump
under ultra-clean conditions.
When
handling and processing various fluids in laboratory and
electronic environments cleanliness is a must.
Peristaltic pumps have been developed for the purpose of
creating a fluid flow without contacting the fluid
itself.
SOLUTION:
TECA developed a liquid chiller to cool a fluids,
while satisfying the same cleanliness requirements. The
solution, based on our successful cold plate product
line, has proven to be
versatile and effective. Pictured here is the first
prototype of a multiple-pass tube cooler for use with a
peristaltic pump.
Applications range from laboratory to medical to
industrial.
