February 2009 Meeting – Middle Atlantic Discusses Thermodynamics

If you could see heat circulating around your equipment or server rooms, you’d find at least a few places where hot air is not gracefully returning to the air conditioner, or where you are pulling in already heated air into your equipment. Avoiding these situations takes some planning, and those who have already pondered the movement of heat waves have some great, simple ideas. For example, did you know you should just stack up hot servers right on top of each other rather than provide air gaps between them?

For our February meeting, Bob Schluter of Middle Atlantic Products discusses effective ways to control the temperature inside equipment racks, critical to the proper functioning and survival of the circuits operating within them. He can help you understand and calculate when to vent a rack using natural convection and when to use forced air (fans). Additionally, he will cover some basic power distribution topics, including AC magnetic fields and their effects on signal wiring as well as ground myths. Bob is a bit of a celebrity and a unique guy as both engineer and president.

Join us Wednesday, February 18, at noon at TV Magic, 8112 Engineer Road in Kearny Mesa, San Diego. T-shirts for the first 40 attendees and pizza lunch will be provided by Middle Atlantic Products. Lecture starts at about 12:30, and you should be on the road by 1:30 PM. Guests welcome. Hey, even if you worked on the digital transition, take a break and join us.

About Bob Schluter, President & Chief Engineer, Middle Atlantic Products

A multiple patent-holder, Bob Schluter has been active in the Professional Audio, Video and Data industries in various capacities since 1976. From his early involvement in electronic equipment design and recording studios throughout his 30 years as President and Chief Engineer at Middle Atlantic, Bob has been intimately involved in integrating and installing audio, video and data systems. Constantly in touch with evolving technologies, Bob is currently designing next generation thermal systems and power distribution products.