Specialty Thermal Management Products

Specialty thermal management products are specialized or proprietary thermal management products used in cooling instruments, electronics, processes or equipments. There are several types of specialty thermal management products. Examples include programmable thermostats, thermal switches, heat transfer coils, heat transfer fluids, a thermal protector, thermal cutoff, and thermal overload relay. A programmable thermostat allows different temperatures to be programmed. A thermal switch makes use of a sensing element, which senses the temperature and automatically opens or closes the switch when the temperature exceeds or recede a particular level of temperature respectively. Heat transfer fluid carries thermal energy between heat sources and heat sinks. A thermal cut-off and thermal protector are temperature sensitive devices used to protect equipments from getting damaged due to fire or overheating. To prevent overheating, a thermal overload relay can be used. Different types of a thermal overload relay include bimetallic relays, eutectic alloy relays, probe relays, and solid-state relays. Other specialty thermal management products are commonly available.

Specialty thermal management products function in a variety of ways. Programmable thermostats can be used in a building to program temperature as desired by the occupant. For example a 5/2-day programmable thermostat can be used to program different temperature levels for weekends. When an ambient temperature exceeds a particular desired level, a thermal cut-off breaks the electrical circuit permanently. In some of industrial applications where motors are used, a motor can draw too much current and may overheat due to an increase in the motor's thermal dissipation. A heat transfer coil is also known as a finned tube coil in which the transfer of energy takes place from the higher temperature stream to lower temperature stream. In a thermal management product such as heat transfer coil, selection of coil can be done on the basis of requirements like heat transfer (BTU/hr load), fluid pressure drop and air pressure drop for better capacity and efficiency of the system. Some parameters such as motor load phase, motor voltage, control circuit voltage, contact or output ratings, pole specifications, and operating temperature need to be considered before using a thermal overload relay in order to ensure proper and safe working of the motor. Specialty thermal management products are designed and manufactured to meet most industry specifications.

Specialty thermal management products are utilized in equipment where temperature control is required. Thermal switches can be used in house-type air conditioner or heat pump. Heat transfer fluids are used in automotive, compressors, piston pumps gears etc. In many types of equipment such as home theater systems, CD/DVD, due to more channels of audio and wide variety of A/V equipment a lot of heat is generated in equipments enclosures. In such equipment, active thermal management can be used to extend their life and to prevent other operating problems. There are several guidelines for specialty thermal management products established by Underwriters Laboratories, Inc. (UL).

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