Cooling fans and dust

mcgivor
mcgivor Solar Expert Posts: 3,854 ✭✭✭✭✭✭
In the past, one aspect of my job, was the maintenance of about 150 Danfoss frequency drives which have cooling fans, they had external replaceable air filters. Some charge controllers and inverters which employ cooling fans run often, ingesting airborne dust and pollen etcetera, in the case of my inverter charger, the fans run almost constantly, tropical climate, within a few weeks there was a fine brown coat of dust in the intake grill. My solution was to use automotive air conditioning cabin filters over the intakes, was curious what other ideas may be employed, this dust can't be good for the electronics. 
1500W, 6× Schutten 250W Poly panels , Schneider MPPT 60 150 CC, Schneider SW 2524 inverter, 400Ah LFP 24V nominal battery with Battery Bodyguard BMS 
Second system 1890W  3 × 300W No name brand poly, 3×330 Sunsolar Poly panels, Morningstar TS 60 PWM controller, no name 2000W inverter 400Ah LFP 24V nominal battery with Daly BMS, used for water pumping and day time air conditioning.  
5Kw Yanmar clone single cylinder air cooled diesel generator for rare emergency charging and welding.

Comments

  • mike95490
    mike95490 Solar Expert Posts: 9,583 ✭✭✭✭✭
    As long as you realize the filters restrict the airflow a bit, and you need larger filters (2x ?) than your fan grills. Should help.
    Powerfab top of pole PV mount | Listeroid 6/1 w/st5 gen head | XW6048 inverter/chgr | Iota 48V/15A charger | Morningstar 60A MPPT | 48V, 800A NiFe Battery (in series)| 15, Evergreen 205w "12V" PV array on pole | Midnight ePanel | Grundfos 10 SO5-9 with 3 wire Franklin Electric motor (1/2hp 240V 1ph ) on a timer for 3 hr noontime run - Runs off PV ||
    || Midnight Classic 200 | 10, Evergreen 200w in a 160VOC array ||
    || VEC1093 12V Charger | Maha C401 aa/aaa Charger | SureSine | Sunsaver MPPT 15A

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  • Dave Angelini
    Dave Angelini Solar Expert Posts: 6,729 ✭✭✭✭✭✭
    The CSW you have just coats everything. The XW takes a different approach and has a tunnel that has only heat sinks inside and no components. The tunnel runs vertically to convection cool if the fans died. That was the requirement to make it last 10 years in the deserts of ?. 
    "we go where power lines don't" Sierra Nevada mountain area
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