Rittal's LCP Industry – Liquid Cooling for the Industrial Space

By Karl Lycett – Rittal UK’s Product Manager for Climate Control Rittal’s Liquid Cooling Package Industry (LCP Industry) has been protecting critical equipment in industrial spaces for many years, ensuring sensitive electrical components are kept within their optimal operating conditions. It’s been so successful that, as part of our programme of continuous improvement, the unit has now been updated to make it fully compatible with Rittal’s recently launched, market-leading, VX25 enclosure system. But why and how is liquid cooling so effective and what benefits does the LCP Industry offer for installers? Water vs Air Cooling It’s often the case that due to factors such as the location of industrial equipment, the amount of equipment involved, or physical space restrictions, traditional cooling methods are unviable or simply not especially effective. Liquid cooling, however, is an option open to all, and one that is much more effective than air at removing waste heat and reducing the temperature within the enclosure. Rittal’s LCP Industry is a scaled-up Air to Water Heat Exchanger which connects seamlessly to the end of, or within, a suite of enclosures. It can provide up to 10kW of cooling power with a minimal width of 300mm and a low overall footprint (0.24m²). If it is installed within a suite, the unit can be configured to supply 10kW of cooling in one direction only, or 5kW in either direction, to fit with the enclosure design. This amount of power means that even the most challenging installation can be protected, ensuring that the equipment operates within an acceptable environment. This protection allows it to work at maximum output and helps extend its operating life thereby reducing annual spares and maintenance costs. The LCP Industry is designed to avoid any equipment jutting into the gangway, which can be a concern on mezzanine floors or tight spaces in terms of both practicality and worker safety. Flexibility in Installation The LCP Industry has in-built recesses for routing busbar systems and cables. It has a space for the busbar system at the top of the climate control enclosure and there is room for the N/PE rails below. Additional cabling can be added-in to both positions, making the LCP Industry extremely flexible, notably in large switchgear units with full-length busbar systems. Many industrial sites already have an operational chilled water supply to service other procedures and equipment. Where this is the case, it can be tapped off and used for the LCP Industry. If not, Rittal can provide advice and quotations to supply a stand-alone chiller to supply the LCP. Depending on the source, the water supply can be channelled into the unit via connections located at the top and back, to help make installation easier.

For more information on Rittal's LCP Industry – Liquid Cooling for the Industrial Space talk to Rittal Ltd