Emerson Exchange 365

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Considerations/Lessons Learned- Charms Panels Installed in the Field.

We have a project where we would like to install a couple Charms panels/enclosures in the field.  By "field" I mean not in a climate controlled IO room or similar environment but outside in the process area. The enclosure would likely have a couple power supplies, network switches, redundant CIOCs and a few terminal bases with Analog/Discrete IO installed.  I have seen the temperature specs on the charms hardware but would like to have some real world feedback as to people that have actually installed them in the field and what challenges or experiences they might have had.  Assuming the panel is purchased correctly for the NEMA requirement and the temperature in the panel doesn't exceed 120-130 ambient, are there any other considerations?  

Thanks in Advance

s_brwn

• 2 Feb 2022 1:49 PM
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4 Replies

• SimHogan

  

  • 2 Feb 2022 3:57 PM

  I suggest consider if the panels will have direct solar exposure, you may need solar shade/protection. The electronics contribute a fair amount of heat. We have a large number of CIOC/CHARM NEMA purged cabinets outdoors with no issues so far. However, I have concerns about one or two panels that are exposed to direct sunlight during certain parts of the day, my thought being that shade/cooler would be better..

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• MPHymel

  

  • 2 Feb 2022 10:01 PM

  In reply to SimHogan:

  We have many installed in south Louisiana. We use vortex coolers. If you can arrange for shade as SimHogan mentioned you will want to do so. Just be aware the if you use the vortex coolers the quality of your air can affect the environment in your enclosure.

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• Andre Dicaire

  

  • 2 Feb 2022 10:33 PM

  We have many CHARM enclosures installed in our territory. I have a panel outside our office specifically to monitor performance of the CIOCs and the effect of cold as well as heat.
  
  You have to consider all the equipment in the panel and design to the lesser spec. CIOC's are rated to 158 degrees F with the Copper communication modules. The Multimode fiber module has high limit o f 140 degrees F. Make user your media converters or switches are equally rated, as well as power supply and any breakers etc.
  
  Direct sunlight, as mentioned by the other posts, is to be avoided. our testing shows internal ambient temperature runs about 10 degrees hotter then outside ambient, due to the heat generated by the CIOC, CHARMS, switch and power supply losses. Direct sunlight can add and addition 35 to 40 degrees F from radiant energy. On a hot summer day, that will take you over the 158 degrees F. but in the shade, the internal temperature would remain well below 130. Passive shade is most cost effective protection.
  
  Note that the CIOC provides an internal temperature of the processor module. This reading is on the processor itself so do not confuse this reading with the max 158 degree F operational limit. The processor will run some 30 degrees F hotter than ambient. I've found this differential to be quite consistent and that you can infer the ambient internal temperature of the enclosure from the CIOC Processor's temperature. (Ambient = CIOC Temp - 30 Deg F) You can forgo adding a temperature sensor by using this reading. Note that the concern with ambient temperature is how it impacts the processor temperature. Why not use the actual processor temperature rather than infer an issue from ambient temperature?
  
  When you use active cooling to manage internal temperature, it is imperative that you monitor the enclosure temperature as failure of the cooling would result in overheating. However, if there is no active cooling, then we know that ambient temperature will follow the outside ambient air plus radiant heating from direct sunlight. Remove direct sunlight from the equation and you can predict enclosure internal temperature from outside ambient temperature.
  
  In our climate, we reach plus 110 F degrees in the summer and -40 deg in the winter. We don't use coolers or heaters by selecting all components in the enclosure that meet the same specs as the CIOC and we use sun shields or place the enclosures in the shade. Some customers install heaters, but we have no reported failures due to cold (except for a heater that failed).
  
  Note: the CIOC temperature reading is available to Workstations, but not controllers. By assigning a module to an Application station, you can read these values in a control module.

  Andre Dicaire

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• Kent

  

  • 2 Feb 2022 11:04 PM

  Thanks.

   

  Kent E Mitchell, P.E.
  108-A ARB BTC
  Bartlesville, OK 74003-6670
  
  

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