Purpose of a Filter
First of all, it’s important to understand the reason for a 120 mm fan filter. The three top reasons that these filters are necessary within a forced convection cooling system are as follows:
1. Removal of particle contaminants in the air
2. Creation of laminar air flow
3. To bring attention to EMI or electromagnetic interference
Particle Contaminants
Removing corrosive materials is crucial, but removal of things like dust and dirt isn’t as obvious. Over time, they can accumulate all throughout electrical components and end up shorting them out. They also affect air flow and in turn, the performance of thermal qualities.
From dust and corrosive elements to include humidity, salt and other solvents, 120 mm fan filters remove all types of harmful particles. Particle size depends on the material; for example, cigarette smoke particles are much smaller than dust particles so it goes without saying that removal of those larger is much easier. If even the smallest particle must be caught, then fan filter choice plays a huge role.
Laminar Flow of Air
Less turbulent flows are obviously the better choice for most applications. This is because of the lowered friction and less work required by the fan. Lower fan work means less noise which is desired among st those cooling computers or other electrical equipment. Plus, noise could inhibit forced convection cooling.
Electromagnetic Interference
Some components of electrical goods are prone to electromagnetic interference. This sometimes causes them to break down or give out messed up signals. In this case, taking electronics and mounting them in an enclosure made of metal gives the necessary protection minus the holes for air flow. In this case, a metallic barrier for ventilation along with 120 mm fan filters will help with electromagnetic signals.
Common Filter Media
There are many types of materials used for 120 mm fan filter media. they include but aren’t limited to metal wool, expanded metal, coarse glass fibers, and foam open cell synthetics. Each variety has a different efficiency and other characteristics.
Efficiency
Filter efficiency is calculated as the percentage of the airborne entities that a filter can efficiently remove from the air flow at a particular velocity. Filters that have a higher efficiency have a bigger drop in pressure when it comes to air velocity.
Pressure Drop
The pressure drop for a filter is a calculated by the force required to move air through the filter at a particular velocity. Each part within a system gives resistance to the overall air flow, which ends in a pressure drop.
Selecting a 120 mm Fan filter
Several specs are needed before the right filter is chosen. Typical specifications include:
- The available filter area.
- Volumetric flow rate.
- The maximum pressure drop.
- Agency specs
- Filter efficiency
- Type of contaminants present.
At this point, the filter type chosen depends on the ability to meet a list of specs. A great procedure is to lessen the field of possibilities to those that meet the contaminant removal and efficiency requirements. Following these guidelines, and 120 mm fan filter will do its job to protect equipment and have it running at high-efficiency at all times. This protects electronics investments with ease, and is well worth the time and effort of research.