COMMUNICATIONS COOLING

Long-Term Communications Cooling

communications cooling communications cooling

 

A common use for thermoelectric air conditioners is the cooling of electronics cabinets.

These photos show an outdoor communications cabinet being cooled with a system of TECA air conditioners that have been customized for the end user. The units photographed here are over 12 years old, a testament to the reliability of TECA’s thermoelectric air conditioners.

Also worth mentioning is the lack of maintenance that thermoelectric air conditioners require. With no moving parts except for the fans, no filters to change and no chemical coolants, TECA air conditioners are an ideal and environmentally friendly solution for remote areas.

ELECTRONIC IMAGING

Electronic Imaging

Reliable electronics cooling:

electronic imaging

A small TECA thermoelectric air conditioner is used to cool electronics, preventing over-heat shut downs in a critical application. A leading manufacturer of mobile electronics communications and imaging devices required a fail-proof solution for law enforcement. Customizing a TECA air conditioner, we were able to support the end user’s needs for over a dozen custom models within a short delivery window.

Contact TECA Sales to ask questions and gain valuable sizing advice. We look forward to hearing from you! Phone: 773.342.4900

COMMUNICATIONS

Communications:

communications

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.

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.

NUCLEAR PLANT

Nuclear Plant:

nuclear plant

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.

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

Avionics Maintenance:

avionics maintenance

 

The task was to 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. 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.

MILITARY TROOP TRANSPORT

Military Troop Transport:

military troop transport military troop transport military troop transport

 

It was 1994 and a military contractor came to TECA with a problem. The existing Freon based refrigerators used in troop transport galleys had a MTBF measured in months.

They had recognized the potential of thermoelectrics and contracted with a vendor to design and build refrigerators for them.  The problem came when the original vendor’s product failed to live up to its potential. TECA was approached and given only several months to design, build and test three prototype refrigerators for the first new galley.

Less than three months later with test data in his hands and three refrigerators in the back of his truck a TECA rep delivered the goods. Over twenty years later the military and it’s allies around the world are still flying these same refrigerators and ordering more.

COMPACT MILITARY AIR CONDITIONER

Compact Military Air Conditioner:

compact military air conditioner

The contact to engineering read pretty much like this:

  • Wants A/C, 17.5 x 5.5 footprint, 150 W @ 0 Dt, He is in a hurry
  • Desert Application
  • Unit will require transport in, then it will sit for months, then it will go somewhere else
  • Single set point 35 °C control?
  • Size, can go 6″ on the outside

We suggested AHP-1200X, he said they didn’t choose because of no DC.  We could make it DC!  Nope, won’t fit, air flows are bad, 24 VDC, running off generator, NEMA 4X, Mil grade fans, 50 °C max, urgent need!

A little more than month later the order was placed and about 6 weeks after that a batch of custom air conditioners was being shipped.

THERMAL PREFERENCE TEST

Thermal Preference Test:

thermal preference

Pain Research

Using TECA’s Dual Cold/Hot Plate, a health psychology lab in a large university is conducting a study on the relationship between pain sensitivity and inflammation in human subjects.

The human subject places his or her hand on the surface of TECA’s AHP-1200DCP Dual Cold/Hot Plate for a period of time. Researchers are using set points between 52 °C and -4 °C and can utilize the included communications software to program ramp and soak profiles.

TEMPERATURE PREFERENCE TEST

Temperature Preference Test:

temperature preference

TECA’s model AHP-1200DCP consists of two adjacent thermoelectric heat/cool plates (dual zone cold plate).

In this example, the customer has added an optional Plexiglas barrier that allows the rat to easily move between the two surfaces. One plate was set at 30 ºC and the other plate was alternately set also to 30 ºC or to a different temperature. Animals spent time on each plate.

The customer studies whether rats/mice exhibit a significant, temperature-dependent avoidance of plates after injection of analgesic drugs.

ANIMAL BEHAVIOR RESEARCH

Animal Behavior Research:

animal behavior research

 

Investigating the changes in behavioral responses due to changes in experimental floor temperature and dermal application of heating/cooling compounds in an animal model requires precise temperature control system.

The TECA AHP-1200DCP dual zone cold/hot thermoelectric plate with two independently controllable temperature zones provides precise regulation of the floor temperature and change of settings as deemed. experimentally necessary. The Plexiglass arena allows careful monitoring of animal activity while allowing the animal to roam free across the experimental surface.

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