Electronics Humidity Control
Electronics are everywhere in these modern times, from a simple child’s toy to the avionics in a fighter plane. All these electronics are affected by the same things, albeit with differing degrees of importance!
There are a number of ways in which humidity can affect electronics.
- The risk of condensation forming on components when the surface temperature falls below to surrounding dewpoint
- Corrosion setting in on components of the moisture and condensation is not controlled
- Increased electrical resistance leads to issues with component and system performance
When in use, electronics generate heat and air conditioning (cooling) is often used, but these lower temperatures can lead to condensation on components or within manufacturing systems. This can be both dangerous and destructive, either directly as a result of condensation or indirectly as the electronics ‘soak’ in an ambient condition higher than ideal. This latter issue is particularly prevalent in aircraft avionics, where ambient humidity can break down the insulation across cables and connectors and lead to the ‘ghosting’ of images on the onboard displays.
At a more basic level, corrosion build-up creates increased electrical resistance and potential performance issues. The risk to the reliable operation of the equipment is increased under these circumstances, but an easy thing to fix.
In these circumstances, we would recommend a simple solution for corrosion prevention involving the installation, or indeed the retro-fitment, of a desiccant dehumidifier to run in conjunction with the air handling/cooling equipment.
Examples of this application are manifold, including the manufacture of printed circuit boards, high specification battery production, optical lenses and applications for military use in avionics and even the long-term storage of military machinery and assets. DEHUM is an electronics and humidity control specialist. Call us on 01926 882 624
