Air Filter Designs for Electronics Enclosures

1. Air Filter Designs for
Electronic Enclosures

2.  This webinar will be available afterwards at
www.designworldonline.com & email
 Q&A at the end of the presentation
 Hashtag for this webinar: #DWwebinar
Before We Start

3. Moderator Presenter
Miles Budimir
Design World
Dan Krupp
Universal Air Filter

5. Today’s presentation…
Air Filters in Electronics Cooling Applications
• Types of equipment
• Contamination & system failure
System Design Considerations
• Industry standards and compliance
• Thermal management / pressure drop
Air Filter Specification Process
• Enclosure Air Filter Products
• 3D CAD Demo
Enclosure Flame Safety
• Flame Retardant Components
• Fire Block Vent Panels
Overview

7. Air Filter Role in Electronics Reliability
Filters do more than simply capture dust
Thermal Management
Shielding Against
EMI/RFI Interference
Fire Resistance
 Use only UL flame rated
air filters
 Fire audits have
confirmed the
effectiveness of flame
retardant air filters in
catastrophic conditions
 Overheating is the #1
cause of costly
electronics equipment
failure and downtime
Increase Energy
Efficiency
 Low resistance / clean
filters reduce equipment
energy costs by providing
optimal, laminar air flow
thru-out electronics
chassis
Environmentally Friendly
 Ensure components are
100% compliant with
internationally recognized
environmental standards
 High levels of interference
may cause intermittent and
unexplained equipment
failure, data errors, packet
retransmissions and
network congestion

8. Industrial Equipment Applications
Production Automation Equipment

9. Medical Device Applications
Sophisticated Medical Electronics

10. LED/LCD Display Applications
Enclosure Thermal Management

11. Power Gen Applications
Green Vehicle & Utility Scale

12. Solar Power Applications
Utility Grid Scale

13. Wind Power Applications
Turbine Environmental Protection

14. Military Applications
Mobile and Aerospace Electronics

15. Data Center Applications
Pre-Filters for CRAC Units
 Extends life of CRAC High Efficiency Filters
 Cleanable and Reusable
 Reduce High Efficiency Filter Change-outs

16. Electronics Rack Applications
Intelligent Rack Cooling

17. Backup Power Applications
UPS / Network Power

18. Enterprise Network Applications
Servers & Storage

19. Thermal Component Applications
Fan Trays and Fan Packs

20. Contamination
Wrecks Equipment

21. Air Filters Get Dirty

22. Quadrafoam keeps out dust and moths.

25. Very clean inside thanks to Quadrafoam

26. Green Washable Filters
Save Money & Improve Efficiency
Clean and re-install air filters
 Avoid purchasing, inventory, distribution costs
 Last several years depending
on environment
 Sustainability-friendly
 Reduce waste

28. System Design
Considerations
You need to design a data center chassis…
 Enclosure size
 Density – electronics and components
 Fan ratings – power and noise
 Fan or blower locations
 Industrial designs
And don’t forget the…
 Air filter – fit , form, function

29. Industry Standards
and Classifications
 NEBS GR-63, GR-78, GR-487-CORE
Equipment must be: Easy to install, operate reliably, and
efficiently occupy building space. Operation within a set of
environmental conditions reduces product installation and
maintenance costs.
 Advanced TCI/Compact PCI
A new series of PICMG specifications, targeted to the
requirements for the next generation of carrier-grade
communications equipment.
 UL/CSA 60950 (formerly UL 1950)
EN 60950
 UL 94 HF-1
Component plastics
flame spec
 UL 900
Air filter flame spec
 Mil-Spec
Applying commercial
standards where appropriate

30. Total Thermal
System Management
Thermal management...
 Intake / Exhaust
 Air flow path
 Hot / cold aisles
Thermal analysis software libraries...
 6 Sigma
 FloTHERM
 IcePak
 MacroFlow

31. Total System Pressure Drop
System Components affect airflow
 Power supplies
 Perforated metal
 Card guides
 EMI / Faraday cages
 Industrial designs / bezels / plenums
 Air filters

32. Fan/Filter System
Relationship
Fan / blower location…
 Push = Pressurization
 Pull = Evacuation
 Push + Pull

33. Pressurization
Pros:
 All air is filtered in harsh environments
 Air straightening
 Pressure equalization
Cons:
 Higher pressure drop through filter
 Space requirements
 Maximize plenum between fan and filter

34. Evacuation
Pros:
 Maximize cooling air
 Saves space
 Lower filter pressure drop
Cons:
 Not all air is filtered
 Potential air bypass
 Limited air straightening / pressure equalization from filter

35. Pressurization + Evacuation
Pros:
 Maximum cooling air
 Bigger air filters
Cons:
 More space
 Higher power requirements
 Increased noise

38. Electronics Equipment
Air Filters
 NEBS Certified
 UL Listed and CE Certified
 Support compliance to UL 60950
 EMI shielding capabilities
 Special metal finishes for corrosion
protection / enhanced EMI
 Free custom prototypes for R&D
support

39. Electronics Equipment
Filter Products
Metal Mesh Air Filters
 Rugged frame assemblies
 Outdoor and other harsh environments
 Available with integrated EMI shielding
 Washable and reusable
 Ultra-thin options for limited space applications

40. Electronics Equipment
Filter Products
Flex-Frame Air Filters
 Flexible flame retardant, polypropylene frames
 UL 94 recognized flame rating
 Conform to radius-type air intake bezels
 Laser cutting capabilities for intricate frame designs
 Snake around internal electronic components and
chassis obstructions
 Non-conductive for electronics applications

41. Electronics Equipment
Filter Products
Quadrafoam Air Filters
 UL 94 recognized flame rating
 Low pressure drop
 Broad range of porosities (PPI)
 ASHRAE efficiency ratings up to MERV 8
 30% - 90% ASHRAE arrestance most popular
 Ideal for networking / electronic enclosures

42. Electronics Equipment
Filter Products
High Efficiency Air Filters
 Extends equipment operating life
 Enhances air quality
 Custom MERV 11, 13 & 15
 Captures dust, mold & pollen
 Commercial / industrial applications
 Rigid aluminum frame and robust media for durability

43. Electronics Equipment
Filter Products
Outside Plant (OSP) Filters
 UPE Membrane Filter Media
(Ultra-High Molecular Weight Polyethylene with Microglass
Backer)
 Cleanable Pre-Filter
 Tested for Wind Driven Rain / Water Intrusion
 Blocks Salt Fog

44. Air Filter
Specification Process
 Determine standards & specifications – NEBS, UL 60950, CE
 Understand flame rating requirements – UL 94
 Select air filter dimensions (length, width, thickness)
 Select appropriate framed air filter model
 Determine handles / tabs or other fixture add-ons
 Select flame retardant media (thickness and porosity)
 Calculate linear airflow velocity
 Calculate maximum filter initial resistance
 Select media color and special metal finishes
 Prepare filter drawing – 3D CAD / online tools
 Request prototypes – test and evaluation

46. Enclosure – Fire Safety

47. Enclosure – Fire Safety

48. Enclosure – Fire Safety
Fire audits have confirmed
the effectiveness of UAF
flame retardant air filters
 Example of filters containing the
spread of fire to neighboring
equipment

49. Compliance
Applicable Filter Standards:
 UL 94 recognition
 UL 900 registration
 EU Directive 2002/95/EC
 China RoHs
 EU No. 1907/2006 REACH

50. EMI Air Filters & Vents
In addition to air filters…
 Air filters with EMI shielding capabilities
 EMI vent panels
 Honeycomb fireblock Panels
 Watch the PyroCide vent Video - next slide

52. Review
 Consider air filters early in the design process
 Understand industry & customer requirements
 Analyze custom enclosure configuration for total system
thermal and design management
 Specify filter utilizing the latest technological innovations,
including EMI shielding
 Ensure customers can acquire replacements

53. 1624 Sauget Industrial Parkway, Sauget, IL 62206
P: 618.271-7300 | F: 618.271.8808 | www.uaf.com

54. Questions?
Editor Name
Design World
@wtwhmedia.com
Phone: 440.234.4531
Twitter: @DW_Motion
Dan Krupp
Universal Air Filter
dankrupp@uaf.com
Phone: 618.271.7300

55. Thank You
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