When it comes to cooling electronic systems subjected to highly fluctuating ambient temperatures, in addition to efficient cooling, it's also necessary to supply heat to the inside of the enclosure. This prevents temperatures from dropping below the dew point, which can damage components, and keeps the electronic circuits operational, even in low ambient temperatures. The Rittal RTC now performs both functions: heating and cooling combined in a single unit. Switching between heating and cooling modes is automatic.
The unit comes pre-set from the factory with optimal values for most applications: a set point of 35°C for cooling and 5°C for heating. When the ambient temperature exceeds the first set point or falls below the second, the cooling or heating mode is activated, respectively.
To achieve cooling capacities exceeding 100 W per unit, leveraging the advantages of Peltier technology, the RTC design allows for seamless assembly, either longitudinally or transversely. Unlike compressor-based coolers, the tilt angle of the Peltier RTCs is not a critical factor. The only restriction is an angle of tilt of approximately 45° to ensure safe condensate drainage. A key innovation is that each unit can operate in "Stand-Alone" (factory setting), "Master," or "Slave" modes. A master RTC can control up to four slave RTCs, ensuring that the coolers operate according to the master's cooling strategy. The master RTC communicates with the controlled units via an RJ45 port.
