Industry specific requirements for crane air conditioning units

Air conditioning units for high-temperature applications and extreme conditions

Every industry poses different challenges for air conditioning units: be it extremely high or low temperatures, thermal radiation or corrosive air polluted with dust and harmful gases. In addition to these chemical agents, there are mechanical loads such as vibrations and shocks. A crane air-conditioning unit not only has to create a pleasant working environment for the staff and cool the control electronics of cranes, it also has to protect itself from adverse environmental influences.

Conventional air conditioning systems would not function reliably under these extreme conditions. Electrical components may not be able to withstand the heat and air pollution would reduce the effectiveness of the heat exchangers. In terms of structure and design, the compressor of a conventional cooling device is not designed for the shocks and vibrations in industrial applications. This is why air conditioning units that are precisely tailored to the requirements of the respective application are indispensable in many industrial sectors and in infrastructure applications.

Shockproof and corrosion-resistant crane air conditioning units for harbor cranes

In port facilities, container terminals and offshore applications, shock loads can act on air conditioning units. Crane air-conditioning units must therefore be designed to be shock-proof and their housings designed to be robust. Electrical components such as fans must also function reliably under heavy-duty conditions such as high temperatures and strong vibrations. Depending on the location and climatic conditions, cranes and crane cabins in ports, container terminals and offshore not only have to be cooled, but also heated. For this purpose, an additional heating level can be integrated into the crane air-conditioning unit in particularly cold environments.

As in many industries, air conditioning units also frequently work in aggressive atmospheres in ports and offshore applications. Moist, salty air accelerates corrosion processes on metallic components. Casings, heat exchangers and pipes of air conditioning units can be made resistant to salty air and other aggressive atmospheres with the help of coatings. Which coatings and materials make sense in order to ensure safe operation and high availability of the crane air-conditioning unit in aggressive atmospheres and under adverse environmental influences is best agreed by operators with the device manufacturer at an early stage.

High temperature range and dusty air in metal production

In metal producing and processing companies such as aluminum or steel works, hot rolling mills, foundries and copper works, high temperatures put a strain on the operating personnel and crane electronics. In addition to warm ambient air, radiant heat, e.g. from blast furnaces, to a high cooling requirement in cranes, crane cabins and control rooms. The air conditioning units used must cool reliably even in high temperature ranges.

In many of these applications and in plants such as cement works, dusty ambient air also places high demands on the filter technology of the air conditioning units. By generating an overpressure, the crane air-conditioning unit can prevent dust air from penetrating the cabin through leaks. The degree of protection of a crane air-conditioning unit against dust, solids and water can be specified with the IP protection classes according to DIN 40050. In these companies too, care should be taken to ensure that crane air-conditioning units are corrosion-resistant.

In order to prevent failures of cranes that are critical for the operational process (e.g. charging or pouring cranes), electronic systems are often implemented redundantly. In these cases, refrigeration redundancy is also an option so that faults in the refrigeration circuit do not impair the operation of the crane. A separate design of the control electronics and cabin cooling also helps to increase the operational safety of the crane and to avoid system downtimes and the associated costs.

ATEX-tested air conditioning units guarantee explosion protection

In coking plants, chemical and petrochemical plants, paper mills and applications in the oil and gas industry, air pollution can attack the surfaces of air conditioning units. Here, too, it is important to ensure that the materials and coatings used are sufficiently resistant. Epoxy coatings, KTL coatings and catalytic coatings make crane air-conditioning units corrosion-resistant and create resistance to acids and alkalis. Corrosion-resistant materials such as stainless steel can also be used.

The protection of the personnel in the crane cabins and containers from chemically polluted air takes place with chemical filters specially adapted to the application. After consulting the manufacturer of the crane air-conditioning unit, ATEX-tested systems can be used at critical locations to ensure explosion protection in explosive atmospheres.

In nuclear power plants, crane air conditioning units cool down inspection cranes, for example. In order to meet the strict requirements on operational safety, crane air conditioning units for nuclear power plants, and other power plants, can be designed to be earthquake-proof, and specified for comprehensive documentation.

In mines, air conditioning and air circulation play a key role in the exchange of substances in the air. Possible contamination with dust and other substances makes effective filter technology particularly important. ATEX-tested air conditioning systems can also be optionally used here.