How do you size cooling for a UV curing system?

Multiply system electrical input by the heat-to-cooling fraction and the runtime fraction, then convert to BTU/hr with the 3,412 factor. For 16 kW at a 0.7 fraction running continuously, heat to remove is 11.2 kW, the basis of the cooling figure.

What fraction of UV system power becomes heat?

Most of it. Only a modest share leaves as useful UV, so 60-80% typically ends up as heat needing removal; the 0.7 default reflects a common medium-pressure mercury system.

Should I add a safety margin to the cooling number?

Yes. This is a nominal heat-to-remove figure. Add margin for ambient temperature, ducting and pipe losses, fouling over time, and future lamp additions, typically 20-30% depending on environment.

Air cooling vs water cooling for UV lamps?

Air (exhaust blowers) is simpler and common for lower-power lamps; water or chiller loops handle high-power heads and give tighter temperature control. The calculator gives total heat to remove; you allocate it between paths based on lamp design.

What happens if UV cooling is undersized?

Lamps run hot, output drifts and derates, quartz and seals age faster, and power supplies may thermally trip. Chronic overheating shortens lamp life and destabilizes cure, causing intermittent undercure.

Does runtime fraction change the chiller size I need?

It changes the average heat load but not necessarily peak. At runtime 1.0 the system runs continuously so average equals peak; for intermittent duty size the chiller to the peak heat, using runtime mainly for energy and utility cost estimates.

UV Curing calculator

UV Cooling Requirement Calculator

UV System Cooling Requirement estimates the cooling capacity, in BTU per hour, needed to keep a UV curing system within thermal limits. A large share of the electrical energy fed into arc or LED UV systems ends up as waste heat in the lamp head, reflector, power supply, and quartz that must be carried away by air, water, or chiller loops. Facilities and process engineers use this to size chillers, exhaust blowers, and cooling water flow so lamps hold their rated output and do not derate or fail early. Undersizing cooling is one of the most common causes of premature lamp aging and unstable UV output.

What this calculator does

Size chiller and exhaust capacity for a UV cure system from input power, the share of input that becomes heat to remove, and runtime.
Use it when laying out a new UV station's utilities - chiller GPM, exhaust CFM, ozone scrubber capacity - before the cell is ordered.
It estimates the cooling capacity in BTU/hr required to remove waste heat from a UV system, from its electrical input, the fraction that becomes heat to be removed, and the runtime fraction per hour.

Formula used

Estimated heat to remove (kW) = system input × heat-to-cooling fraction × runtime fraction
Cooling capacity (BTU/hr) = estimated heat × 3,412

Inputs explained

UV system electrical input:
Heat-to-cooling fraction:
System runtime fraction per hour:

How to use the result

Use it when specifying a chiller, cooling water loop, or exhaust system for a new UV station or when lamps overheat and derate.
It gives a total heat-to-remove figure and does not split load between air and water paths, nor does it account for ambient temperature, ducting losses, or safety margin, which you should add separately.

Common questions

How do you size cooling for a UV curing system? Multiply system electrical input by the heat-to-cooling fraction and the runtime fraction, then convert to BTU/hr with the 3,412 factor. For 16 kW at a 0.7 fraction running continuously, heat to remove is 11.2 kW, the basis of the cooling figure.
What fraction of UV system power becomes heat? Most of it. Only a modest share leaves as useful UV, so 60-80% typically ends up as heat needing removal; the 0.7 default reflects a common medium-pressure mercury system.
Should I add a safety margin to the cooling number? Yes. This is a nominal heat-to-remove figure. Add margin for ambient temperature, ducting and pipe losses, fouling over time, and future lamp additions, typically 20-30% depending on environment.
Air cooling vs water cooling for UV lamps? Air (exhaust blowers) is simpler and common for lower-power lamps; water or chiller loops handle high-power heads and give tighter temperature control. The calculator gives total heat to remove; you allocate it between paths based on lamp design.
What happens if UV cooling is undersized? Lamps run hot, output drifts and derates, quartz and seals age faster, and power supplies may thermally trip. Chronic overheating shortens lamp life and destabilizes cure, causing intermittent undercure.

Last reviewed 2026-05-12.