Enclosure Cooling Calculator
Estimate the cooling required for an electrical enclosure or OEM equipment housing. Include wall heat transfer, solar gain, ventilation and internal equipment heat, then compare air-to-air thermoelectric modules under the calculator’s stated assumptions.
Calculate Your Enclosure Heat LoadEnclosure Cooling CalculatorEstimate your enclosure heat load and find an air-cooling module to discuss with our engineers. Click to expandClick to collapse
Enclosure Cooling Calculator
Estimated results
- Equivalent reference capacity before derating
- Estimated TEC temperature difference
- Estimated capacity retention
Heat-load breakdown
- Enclosure walls
- Solar gain
- Air exchange
- Equipment heat
- Subtotal before margin
Indicative module selection
Estimated cooling after the assumed temperature correction
- Number of modules
- Combined catalogue maximum cooling capacity
- Estimated combined cooling at these conditions
- Combined maximum electrical power
- Rated voltage per module
The product datasheet does not specify the test conditions for its maximum cooling capacities. Module selection assumes the catalogue values can be used as the reference for this correction curve; that assumption needs verification. Our engineers must confirm performance at your actual operating conditions.
Calculation method and assumptions Click to expandClick to collapse
Six-face wall heat transfer, solar gain on the larger vertical face plus the top, ventilation sensible heat and internal equipment heat are added, then multiplied by the safety factor. Negative ambient-to-target temperature differences are set to zero for wall and ventilation loads. The total is divided by the capacity retention to obtain the equivalent reference capacity. Curve points are joined by straight lines.
- Safety factor
- 1.2
- Assumed hot-side rise above ambient
- 30 °C
- Assumed cold-side drop below target
- 8 °C
- Solar gain: light / medium / dark
- 120 / 160 / 200 W/m²
- Heat ratios: power supply / drive / servo / PLC / relay
- 10 / 5 / 10 / 50 / 20 %
- Carbon steel · U
- 5.5 W/(m²·K)
- Stainless steel · U
- 3.7 W/(m²·K)
- Powder-coated steel · U
- 5.3 W/(m²·K)
- Aluminium · U
- 6.5 W/(m²·K)
- Wood · U
- 3 W/(m²·K)
- Plastic · U
- 4 W/(m²·K)
- Glass-reinforced plastic · U
- 3 W/(m²·K)
- Foam board · U
- 0.6 W/(m²·K)
- Insulated sandwich panel · U
- 0.7 W/(m²·K)
Preliminary steady-state estimate. Humidity, condensation, door openings, cool-down time and actual electrical consumption are not calculated. Material U-values, solar gains and heat ratios are fixed estimates; enclosure construction, shading and equipment losses may differ.
How to Size Enclosure Cooling
Describe the enclosure and temperatures
Enter height, width and depth in millimetres, select the enclosure material and specify ambient and target temperatures. Include outdoor solar exposure and air exchange where applicable.
Enter or estimate equipment heat
Use known heat dissipation, estimate it from electrical input power, or infer it from steady-state temperatures measured with cooling off. The electrical ratios are estimates, so manufacturer loss data is preferable.
Review heat load and corrected capacity
Check each heat-load contribution, the safety margin and the temperature correction. Use the suggested model as a starting point for an engineering review of power supply, installation and performance.
Enclosure Heat-Load Calculation Method
Six-face wall heat transfer, solar gain on the larger vertical face plus the top, ventilation sensible heat and internal equipment heat are added, then multiplied by the safety factor. Negative ambient-to-target temperature differences are set to zero for wall and ventilation loads. The total is divided by the capacity retention to obtain the equivalent reference capacity. Curve points are joined by straight lines.
Worked Example: Heat Load and Module Selection
This indoor, sealed carbon-steel enclosure uses the calculator’s example inputs. The values below are calculated by the same function as the interactive tool; they are an illustrative sizing calculation, not measured product performance.
Example Conditions
- Height
- 600 mm
- Width
- 400 mm
- Depth
- 300 mm
- Enclosure material
- Carbon steel
- Installation
- Indoors
- Ventilation
- Sealed enclosure
- Maximum ambient temperature
- 40 °C
- Target enclosure temperature
- 30 °C
- Total equipment heat dissipation
- 100 W
Estimated results
- Enclosure walls
- 59.4 W
- Subtotal before margin
- 159.4 W
- Required cooling, including margin
- 191.28 W
- Estimated TEC temperature difference
- 48 °C
- Estimated capacity retention
- 39.2%
- Equivalent reference capacity before derating
- 487.96 W
- Indicative module selection
- 600W-48V
- Estimated combined cooling at these conditions
- 235.2 W
600 W × 39.2% = 235.2 W ≥ 191.28 W
The catalogue maximum is corrected before comparison with the required cooling. The larger catalogue rating follows from the assumed temperature correction; the product’s actual capacity must be confirmed at the intended operating point.
The product datasheet does not specify the test conditions for its maximum cooling capacities. Module selection assumes the catalogue values can be used as the reference for this correction curve; that assumption needs verification. Our engineers must confirm performance at your actual operating conditions.
Air-to-Air Cooling Modules Used in This Calculator
The calculator uses the same seven models and product data as our air-cooling module catalogue. Follow a model link to its specifications and mechanical drawings.
Enclosure Cooling Calculator Questions
Why is the selected module’s rating higher than the heat load?
The required cooling is a heat load at your target conditions. The catalogue figure is a maximum capacity. This tool applies an assumed temperature-dependent reduction before comparing them. Review the displayed capacity equation and confirm the model with our engineers.
Can I enter equipment electrical power as heat dissipation?
Use the equipment’s known heat losses when available. Electrical power can leave the enclosure as mechanical work or another energy output. The electrical-input mode applies fixed estimated heat ratios, including a custom ratio for other equipment.
Does this calculator predict cool-down time or guarantee temperature?
It estimates steady-state cooling demand. It does not calculate cool-down time, humidity, condensation, door openings or actual electricity consumption. Catalogue test conditions and actual installation performance require engineering confirmation.
Continue Your Cooling Design
- Compare Air-to-Air Cooling Modules
- Cooling-Load Calculation and Peltier Selection Guide
- Thermoelectric Cooling for Industrial Cabinets
Share your enclosure dimensions, heat load, ambient and target temperatures, available power supply and installation space so we can review a suitable configuration.
Request an Engineering Review