Dew Point Graph

To avoid issues with condensation, the coolant temperature must be set above the dewpoint- the temperature at which condensation (dew) will form. In the relatively dry conditions of an air conditioned lab, or a cool dry climate, use of a coolant temperature of 10°C should not cause any problems. As relative humidity or ambient temperature increase however, the dewpoint temperature will also increase so that the minimum coolant temperature that can be used will have to increase accordingly. This will therefore limit the maximum cooling performance that can be achieved.

The first signs that condensation is forming will be on the coolant connections entering and exiting the camera. Use of coolant at or below the dewpoint can result in permanent damage to the camera head due to formation of condensation on internal components. It is therefore very important to ensure that coolant temperature is above the dewpoint. Further guidelines are provided in Condensation Effect Noticeable in Images. The relationship between Relative Humidity and Dew Point at varying Ambient Temperature is shown above. There is also an inbuilt calculator in Solis, as well as a range of dewpoint calculators on-line that you can enter ambient temperature and relative humidity to calculate the dewpoint for your conditions.