5 Things to Know Before Buying Industrial Chiller Supplier

Five Important Factors to Evaluate When Choosing an Industrial Chiller

In the manufacturing sector, industrial chillers play a vital role as they significantly reduce the risk of production downtime and product quality compromise that can be caused by excess heat during processes. Specifically, industrial chillers help maintain process integrity by eliminating excess heat from equipment and applications sensitive to high temperatures. Common examples of industries benefiting from chillers include food and beverage, plastics, and printing. Furthermore, by re-circulating a facility's water supply, industrial chillers contribute to decreased water consumption, reduced cooling costs, and eliminate the need for municipal water sources and wastewater systems.

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Key Considerations for Selecting an Industrial Chiller

If you are planning to specify an industrial chiller for your facility, here are five crucial factors to keep in mind to ensure you choose the right model: the type of cooling fluid, process cooling temperature, flow and pressure requirements, operating environment, and size of the chiller.

1. Type of Cooling Fluid. When selecting a cooling fluid, assess both its performance characteristics and compatibility with existing equipment. Key performance metrics include specific heat, viscosity, and freezing or boiling points at specific temperatures. Furthermore, inspect the materials of your equipment to ensure they are compatible with the fluid to prevent issues such as corrosion or premature seal degradation.
2. Cooling Fluid Temperature. Understanding your chiller's performance data is essential. The cooling capacity of a chiller is directly influenced by its setpoint temperature, establishing a tangible connection between the set temperature and overall cooling efficiency. Note that lowering the temperature can increase the load on the refrigeration system, while raising the temperature has the opposite effect.
3. Flow and Pressure Requirements. The size and performance of your pump determine pressure losses in the system and the necessary flow rate. To ascertain pressure loss, install gauges at the inlet and outlet and measure pump pressure at the desired flow rate. Remember that an undersized pump can decrease fluid flow throughout the system. If the chiller features internal pressure relief, flow may be rerouted back into the chiller system if needed.

Pressure: To determine pressure loss, use pressure gauges installed at both the inlet and outlet of the process, adding pump pressure to obtain relevant values at your desired flow rate. If the pump is undersized, it will negatively impact fluid flow rates. If pressure relief isn’t built into the chiller, the pump will attempt to generate the necessary pressure, reaching dead-head pressure, which can substantially shorten the pump's lifespan.

Flow: Insufficient flow through the system can lead to inadequate heat transfer, jeopardizing safe operation. As the fluid temperature exceeds the setpoint, component temperatures will continue to rise until reaching a new steady-state that exceeds the initial setpoint.

4. Operating Environment. Awareness of the operational conditions where the chiller will function is vital in selecting the proper model for your process. Key factors include ambient temperature and spatial constraints.

Ambient Temperature: The effectiveness of air-cooled chillers in dissipating heat relies on ambient conditions that affect the temperature differential needed for efficient heat transfer. A rise in ambient temperatures can diminish this differential, impacting total heat transfer and component longevity. Liquid-cooled chillers may also experience added strain on crucial components such as compressors and electronics due to elevated operational temperatures. Typically the maximum ambient for non-outdoor rated chillers is approximately 104°F.

Spatial Constraints: Ensuring adequate air circulation around the chiller is crucial. Inadequate airflow can lead to rapid heating, adversely affecting chiller performance and potentially harming the unit itself.

5. Chiller Size. Proper sizing is vital when choosing a chiller. An undersized chiller will be ineffective, unable to stabilize the cooling of process equipment properly. Conversely, an oversized chiller will operate inefficiently and can incur higher operational costs. Proper calculations of flow rates and heat energy added to the cooling medium, indicated by the temperature change at the inlet and outlet water, must guide size decisions.

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