Centrifugal Chiller

Centrifugal Chiller

Centrifugal chillers are a type of centralized air conditioning system that is considered the most economical and efficient method to cool large commercial buildings. These chillers differ from their alternatives-reciprocating/piston, scroll and screw driven based on their compressors, a component that lowers the temperature of the liquid in vapor form. Centrifugal compressors function similarly to a centrifugal fan. They compress the vapor by spinning it from the center of an impeller wheel radically outward. By using inertia, these vapor compressors are easily able to separate vapor molecules from the air. These chillers have few parts, and are therefore highly reliable and easy to maintain. They offer quiet operation and little to no vibration. Centrifugal chillers are quickly becoming the most popular, efficient and cost effective cooling system for large buildings like schools, office buildings and libraries. They also reduce CO1 emissions. Centrifugal chillers dramatically range in size; factory assembled chiller's capacity is anywhere from 70 to 2,500 tons, while field-assembled capacity is around 9,000 tons.

A centrifugal chiller is composed of a condenser, expansion device, evaporator and a fan which acts as the compressor. The compressor fan rotates at high rpm, pressurizing the refrigerant gas to increase its temperature. Electronic microprocessors control the parameters and timing, resulting in a smoother running process. The oil free compressor uses an advanced magnetic bearing to run, and there is zero metal to metal contact. Since centrifugal vapor compressors are able to achieve more efficient cooling, there is not a great need for low-boiling chemicals. They are engineered for lower life cycle costs and are highly reliable. Variable frequency drives control the speed and capacity to match a load, thus reducing harmful emissions and preventing wasted refrigerant gas as well as power. They either use the low pressure refrigerant R-123 or high to medium refrigerant R-124a. Older models that are slowly phasing out may still use R-122 refrigerant.