Free air cooling technology

Free cooling equals cost-effective controlled ventilation for telecom site because of their ability to cool by means of ambient air without a compressor. Dantherm free cooling solutions operate with an overpressure, delivering filtered air into the room, thereby ensuring a clean environment, for example for radio transmission equipment. Energy savings can be huge – with our Flexibox units we can document energy and operating cost savings of up to 90% at Telecom sites that are hosting networks like GSM, UMTS or LTE.

The impressive reduction in energy consumption stems is most often a result of comparing the free air cooling unit technology to Telecom sites that have previously applied traditional air-conditioners. By using free cooling, the overall thermal management running expenditure is simply slashed by this impressive percentage.

How does free cooling work?

Free cooling solutions create a fine-filtered overpressure. Motorised dampers are recommended to ensure optimum air flow in the shelter and to prevent ambient air from entering the shelter or room.

Total heat management

The free cooling solutions provide the option of total heat management in the telecom shelter, as the system controls both connected heating and air conditioning systems. Even surveillance and alarms are part of the free cooling solution.

6th generation of free cooling technology

The free cooling technology has been used by Dantherm for more than a decade and has been through 6 design generations resulting in vastly improved and optimised solutions that stand on years of accumulated knowhow.

Capacity

When choosing a cooling technology that utilizes ambient air to cool, it is important to understand the concept of delta t (Δt):

Δt = t internal - t ambient

The capacity is stated as e.g. 288 W/K. This means that by a difference in temperature of 1Kelvin = 1°C, the cooling capacity is 0.288kW.

Example: Average ambient temperature: 20°C, desired internal temperature: 25°C = Δt = 5 (25-20).

Humidity

Humidity in relation to free cooling is a frequently asked question. When using free cooling, you may apply humid and cold ambient air into an electronic enclosure to cool it down. When the humid ambient air meets the warm air in the enclosure, it is heated and the relative humidity will decrease – leaving no risk for condensation on the electronic equipment.

Installing a free cooling unit like Dantherm’s Flexibox at an existing site will:

• Lower maintenance costs for the complete cooling system as the unit will be relieving the existing air-conditioner from some of its hard and expensive work
• Extend air-conditioner lifetime because of the above
• Less emergency trips to sites due to air-conditioner breakdowns
• Limit site breakdowns as it will also act as emergency cooling in case of air-conditioner breakdown or power outage, thereby securing a longer “up-time” in case of overheating
• Give technicians longer reaction time to arrive at site before site breakdown

For help choosing the right system for your project, don’t hesitate to get in touch with our team.