Enclosure Cooling Capacity Calculator
Estimate enclosure cooling demand from internal losses, enclosure dimensions, ambient conditions, and an entered effective heat-transfer coefficient.
Enter heat load and enclosure assumptions
Enter a supported effective value for the enclosure construction; this varies with material, insulation, mounting, and airflow.
Estimated active cooling capacity
About this calculator
Estimate active cooling needed to hold an enclosure at a target temperature. Inputs include internal equipment losses, other external heat gain, enclosure dimensions, ambient temperature, and an effective heat-transfer coefficient.
Method and assumptions
Six-sided area = 2 × (width × height + width × depth + height × depth). Passive heat transfer = effective coefficient × area × (ambient − target temperature). Required active cooling is the greater of zero and internal plus external heat plus passive ambient heat gain.
Dimensions convert from inches to meters; temperature difference converts from degrees Fahrenheit to kelvin. Cooling is reported in watts and BTU/h.
FAQs
How do I choose the heat-transfer coefficient?
Use a value supported by enclosure construction data or a manufacturer calculation. It depends on material, insulation, mounting, and surrounding airflow.
Can I select an air conditioner directly from this result?
No. The result is a steady-state heat-balance estimate. Select a unit using its rated performance at the actual ambient and installation conditions.
Sources
Use enclosure manufacturer thermal data and cooling unit capacity tables at the actual ambient and installation conditions.