Global flightcase hardware and 19 inch racking manufacturer Penn Elcom introduces the new FT80-Q - quiet - cooling unit for active heat management in cupboards, closets and other enclosed environments
The new exhaust fan product has been developed by Penn’s R ‘n’ D team for fitting into sealed enclosures housing 19 inch racking systems, servers, etc., where hot air is not being expelled. These style of enclosures have a high risk of thermal / component failure as the inbuilt fans only re-cycle hot air, so additional cooling is essential for the well-being of the equipment.
The FT80-Q has been designed to efficiently extract air for rack cooling in these situations.
The product comes with a drill template to allow easy installation, creating an extraction hole and then fitting a cover to keep the overall cabinet / rack enclosure looking smart and streamlined. It fan has numerous potential applications but was originally designed to complement Penn’s extensive 19 inch racking range.
The operating low noise specification of just 22.5 dB (0.3 Sone) is perfect for low noise environments like theatres, conference halls, presentation suites, lecture halls, board rooms, etc. and it’s also ideal for domestic installations.
The powerful 28 CFM (cubic feet of air moved per metre) airflow shifts 47.6 cubic metres per hour at 2000 RPM of the 9-bladed fan, ensuring everything in the space will remain cool and comfortable and suffer less heat fatigue. Measuring just 80mm, the fan is also small enough to be neatly ensconced just about anywhere in or on a cabinet.
It runs at 12V DC, drawing just 200mA, has 2 x DC in / out sockets for power and is supplied complete with a 500mA universal (worldwide) PSU. Like all Penn Elcom products it is super-reliable, ruggedly constructed and weighs an expedient 400 grams.
A thermal sensor accessory can be plugged in to the temperature sensor socket which is set to start operating an 40 degrees, and will re-set at 30 degrees or minus 2. This is supplied with an acrylic adhesive pad to be positioned in an area where it can detect the ambient temperature of the equipment being cooled.
The FT80-Q can be installed quickly and easily into any wooden cabinet using an awl, a cross-headed screwdriver (4 screws are provided with the product) and a 79 cm (3⅛ inch) hole cutter. It can also be fitted into plastic cases and rack units utilizing a different exterior grill kit.
Once mounted, the r 12V DC PSU needs hooking up via the input socket, and a second fan unit can be daisy-chained and run from the same 500mA power supply using a CRC-LINK cable.
The FT80-Q should be cleaned monthly to reduce deposit built-up on the blades.
It adds another versatile and ultimately useful option to Penn’s wide range of heat management tools.