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Several factors come into play when estimating the size of cooling fans needed to keep electronics cool inside enclosures. Here's a look at a step-by-step process for roughly sizing fans based on the task they must perform.
Start with the volumetric flow or cubic-feet-per-minute requirement, the CFM. Then establish a maximum temperature ( T[subscript]m ) and target temperature ( T[subscript]a ), and find the difference, the delta T, ( DeltaT = T[subscript]m - T[subscript]a)
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For calculations, use the number of watts supplied by the enclosure's power supplies as the maximum total watts going to the enclosure's electronics. Assume there are two 60-W power supplies, so the total number of watts is 120. This provides a working estimate of watts that may be on the high side, but using it prevents having to cut sheet metal to install...