Pfannenberg’s Micro-channel AC cooling units for electronics cooling


Micro-Channel cooling is a proven cooling technology that has been used in the Automotive and HVAC industry for over 25 years. Pfannenberg was the first company to introduce micro-channel condenser technology to the industrial process and electrical enclosure cooling industry.

Our extensive 34X1 DTS range features our dual condenser fans with ultra efficient micro-channel condensers designed to meet all industrial environment expectations with products compatible with US regulations as Nema Type 12 indoor, Nema 3R/4 outdoor and Nema Type 4/4x stainless steel for washdown applications.

Pfannenberg’s DTS range of Cooling Units offer a smaller footprint, improved heat transfer efficiency while also providing an environmentally friendly solution by using 50% less refrigerant than standard coils!


Greater Efficiency

The micro-channel condenser coils utilize an ultra-efficient design providing up to 40% more heat rejection thanks to multiple channels
within the tube and a brazed joint between the tube and fin. This improves the transfer of heat from the refrigerant into the ambient air.

Single Row, Less Clogging & Fouling

The single row air flow path of the micro-channel condenser allows for a condenser air flow path that clogs less and is significantly easier to clean during general maintenance.

Corrosion Resistant & Less Weight

The 100% aluminum design with zinc coating increases the corrosion resistance – versus conventional copper tube and fin condensers – and significantly reduces the weight of the product.

Increased Durability

The Cooling Units design provides for a condenser coil that is harder to damage during transit and general handling of the cooling unit.  Fin combing is not required to maintain proper airflow channels.

Cost Effective Design

Machine production of the condenser and the reduced material cost of using aluminum vs copper tubing creates a significant savings over conventional copper tube and fin designs.

Uses 50% Less Refrigerant

In an age where many companies are required to account for and pay fees based on refrigerant usage, having a system that provides the same cooling capacity using 50% less refrigerant is a life saver for plant managers.

Topics: Enclosure CoolingCooling UnitsThermal Management

Afraid to Use Water to Cool your Electronics?



Afraid to Use Water to Cool Your Electronics? You Shouldn’t Be:
Air Conditioners have condensate management precisely to handle the water that is already in your enclosures. Many enclosure cooling devices for industrial thermal processing are designed to handle environments where water is present. The off-the-shelf systems incorporate condensate management to handle water in your enclosures. What is that? There is no water near your electronics? That is where you are wrong: The water is hidden in the vapor form in the air. Fortunately when managed correctly it has no effect on the components inside the enclosure.

Learn more about not only managing the water correctly but how to also use Pfannenberg’s Liquid Solutions™ such as chillers and air to water heat exchangers to cool with water. Check out the article written in Process Cooling by Pfannenberg’s Mitchell Wheeler.

Afraid to Put Water Cooling Near Electricity – Process Cooling September 2014 WEFTEC Issue

Topics: Thermal ManagementWater Cooling

Enclosure cooling. But how and where?


Pfannenberg Paper Featured in May Design World:

When it comes to keeping electronics cool, you have several choices. For enclosure cooling, industrial air conditioners cool internal electrical components. The conditioners mount directly to the enclosure and are selected based on the amount of heat gain, interior air temperature requirements and, since the heat from the interior is rejected by the condenser of the air conditioner into the area adjacent to the enclosure, are also selected based on the ambient air conditions in the immediate vicinity.

Many industrial applications involve harsh environments including air laden with dust, grit, and/or oil mist, packaged air conditioners are not always easily applied and a remote cooling solution is required. Remote cooling moves the enclosure heat to a location away from its installation site – allowing the control enclosure to be sealed against the operation environment.

Remote cooling may involve using the air conditioner with a remote condenser or “split” refrigeration system. Here, the refrigerant compressor and evaporator remain packaged in the locally installed air conditioner. But the condenser is located in a more environmentally favorable location. Because the refrigerant gas from the compressor must be sent to the remote condenser, and the condensed refrigerant liquid must be returned to the conditioner’s evaporator, the piping between the local and remote components becomes an important part of the split system. If piping size and geometry are not properly engineered, the cooling system will be under capacity and the potential for problems with lubrication can cause premature compressor failure. Split systems also require charging the cooling circuit with refrigerant in the field and one remote condenser for each local condition is needed.

Another option for remote cooling involves equipping the control enclosure with an air to water heat exchanger that uses chilled water and a fan to condition and re-circulate the air within the cabinet. In this case, the entire refrigeration system is installed in a remote location and chilled water or a water-glycol combination is circulated to the enclosure-mounted device to remove the heat. Circulating a single-phase fluid makes the connecting piping a less critical element of the system.

An air to water heat exchanger can be beneficial for industrial applications. Because the heat exchangers use chilled water instead of vapor comp-ression refrigeration, it provides a sufficient cooling in a small package. In some cases, a single air-to-water heat exchanger can take the place of two or more air conditioners.

Air-to-water remote cooling can also offer increased energy efficiency when compared to using local air conditioners in environments where high ambient temperatures result in high refrigerant condenser pressures. As the refrigerant condensing pressure increases, the energy input for the compressor increases resulting higher operating costs. Contaminate-laden ambient air contributes to this situation by fouling the condenser coil and reducing its heat transfer efficiency. These problems are avoided by using a system where the refrigeration source is remote. If the chiller is located outdoors, there are additional efficiency gains to be made when seasonal changes in ambient air temperature allow lower refrigerant condensing pressures and lower operating costs.

The remote chiller-based system allows several enclosures to be cooled with a single chiller reducing equipment and installation costs. The chillers are selected to circulate the water flow rate required by the total number of air to water heat exchangers and programmed to maintain a fixed water temperature. Each enclosure-mounted heat exchanger controls the amount of coolant that it receives from the common coolant loop based on its own local temperature controller. The controller can be programmed to either maintain a fixed temperature or a variable temperature relative to the dew point temperature inside the enclosure to avoid condensation.

This coolant loop setup also provides an easy method of increasing reliability through redundancy. A second full-capacity chiller, installed in parallel with the primary chiller will provide up to 100% back-up for the cooling system. Simple controls are available to allow the back up chiller to be brought on line automatically in the event of a cooling failure. These controls can also rotate the lead and lag chillers to provide even duty cycles and ensure that the off line chiller is always ready.

Click here for more info on our Chiller range!