Liquid Chillers

About Liquid Chillers and Liquid Chiller Manufacturers Including: Industrial Chillers, Cooling Systems, Portable Chillers, Water Chillers & Air Cooled Chillers.

Liquid chillers are refrigeration systems that chill liquids such as water, oil, brine, alcohol, chemicals and acids for industrial applications. Refrigerant gas passes through a heat exchanger, while a liquid flows in the other direction on the opposite side of the heat exchanger. The refrigerant absorbs the heat lost by the liquid. A compressor compresses the refrigerant into a high pressure, high temperature gas. The gas then moves into the condenser coil over which ambient air blows. The air, moved by one or more fans, removes heat from the gas, which causes it to condense into a high pressure, warm temperature liquid. The liquid passes through the expansion valve where a large pressure drop occurs, turning the liquid into a very cold mist. The mist returns to the heat exchanger, and the whole process begins again.
 
Liquid chiller manufacturers produce their products to be run with two categories of refrigerants, primary and secondary. Primary refrigerants are substances, such as CFCs, HCFCs and HFCs, which change their physical state from liquid to vapor or vice versa, based on the absorption or release of heat, respectively. Secondary refrigerants include water, brine and air and supplement primary refrigerants. There are also two types of compressors. A scroll style compressor rotates about a shaft to create a pump. A piston style compressor rotates a shaft that is curved like a crankshaft. The shaft, connected to one or more of the piston rods, moves the pistons up and down, creating pressure in the piston cylinder. Scroll compressors are usually more efficient than piston compressors, but both are very reliable and widely used in the refrigeration industry.
 
Condensers come in three types. In air cooled condensers, air circulates around tubes containing the refrigerant, contributing to the condensation of the refrigerant. These condensers are used in instances where water is unavailable. Water cooled condensers, also called “shell” or “tube” condensers, utilize water to condense the refrigerant. Water circulates through the tubes around which the refrigerant is introduced, causing condensation of the refrigerant on the outside of the tubes. In evaporative cooled condensers, water is sprayed onto tubes containing the refrigerant. The evaporation of the water causes the condensation of the refrigerant within the tube.
 
Liquid chiller manufacturers need to know quite a bit of information before building a specific chiller to meet the requirements of the application. The necessary data includes a brief explanation of the process, heat load, liquid to be chilled, temperature required in the process, temperature returning from the process, flow rate of the process liquid, flow rate constancy, type of chiller circuit (open- or closed-loop), pressure required during the process, type of condenser cooling required, temperature of the condenser cooling medium, installation location, electrical service available, type of package (including tank, pump or pumps and controls), physical restrictions, type of compressor and any other special details. Liquid chiller manufacturers will also need to know about the environment, as in the general layout of the facility, the conditions and existing equipment. They must also consider what kind of material will be used to build the liquid chiller. Are components available from a source other than the manufacturer? What will be the chiller’s energy efficiency? Is it “user friendly”? What about the warranty? Buyers should beware of compact liquid chillers, because, though they are initially cheaper, they cost more in maintenance/labor hours in the long-run. Also, avoid purchasing a liquid chiller with a “cooling coil” inside the tank, as it is impossible to access the cooling coil in a sealed tank.

Liquid Chillers and Liquid Chiller Manufacturers Image Provided by Cold Shot Chillers	Liquid Chillers and Liquid Chiller Manufacturers Image Provided by Cooling Technology

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Types of Liquid Chillers and Liquid Chiller Manufacturers

• Air cooled chillers, the most common chiller type, require little maintenance. However, because of the need for high condensing temperatures ranging from 120° F to 140° F, air cooled chillers require more power to operate.
  
• Central chilled water units consist of air handling units fitted with chilled water coils and are utilized in air condition systems.
  
• Cooling systems are used to remove heat from an area.
  
• Dedicated-process chillers operate year-round and are designed to provide specific, capacity-matched cooling protection and proper temperature/water flow. Dedicated-process chillers are the best choice for medical applications.
  
• Evaporative cooled chillers are uncommon but highly efficient liquid chillers. Evaporative chillers maintain the lowest condensing temperatures, which range from 85° F to 105° F.
  
• Fluid chillers provide process cooling using a secondary fluid.
  
• HVAC chillers are often installed outside and are available in centralized and modular designs. HVAC chillers are used in industrial and commercial environments.
  
• Industrial chillers are refrigeration systems that are used to chill various liquids in industrial settings.
  
• Liquid chillers are refrigeration systems that remove heat from various liquids.
  
• Machine tool chillers lower the temperature of coolant that is used in the cutting zone and recirculate it back to the machine tool in a closed-loop system.
  
• Medical chillers are self-contained chillers with higher pressure pumping, temperature stability and microprocessor controls.
  
• Portable chillers are self-contained units and are useful in small and/or dedicated applications.
  
• Recirculating chillers constantly circulate coolant in a closed loop, retaining high efficiency without wasting water.
  
• Water chillers consist of a compressor, condenser and chiller with internal piping and controls all contained within a single unit. The term “water chillers” refers also to an overall package that includes a refrigeration plant, water chiller and air or water cooled condenser.

Common Terms Related to Liquid Chillers and Liquid Chiller Manufacturers

Ambient - The surrounding environment, including temperature, pressure and/or humidity, coming into contact with a system or liquid chillers component.
 
Brine - Mineralized water consisting of sodium chloride, metallic and/or organic contaminants.
 
British Thermal Units (BTU) - A measurement unit reflecting the amount of heat needed to change the temperature of one pound of water one degree Fahrenheit.
 
Capillary Tube - Tube located between the condenser and evaporator that manages the refrigerant flow within liquid chillers.
 
Central Chilling System - A chilling system that are self-contained liquid chillers. A central chilling system has more than one liquid chiller unit and more than one compressor but no pump tank set.
 
Chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) - A gas consisting of chlorine, fluorine and carbon that has been used as a refrigerant in such items as liquid chillers. CFCs cause ozone depletion, because they do not break down upon release into the atmosphere, but mix with ultraviolet light to create carbon dioxide, and eventually ozone-eating chlorine radicals.
 
Coefficient of Performance (COP) - The measurement of a refrigeration system's efficiency that compares the system's cooling ability with the heat input necessary to attain such cooling. COP is calculated by dividing a system's cooling ability by the systems heat input and is expressed in BTU/hr.
 
Compressor - A device that increases pressure on a gas through the act of pumping. Compressors are responsible for the compaction of the vaporized refrigerant to a pressure level suitable for liquification, which occurs in condensers of industrial chillers.

Condenser - A device that removes heat via forced air, water coil, etc., in order to convert a high pressure gas into a lower pressure liquid. Condensers remove heat from the compressed vaporized refrigerant, at which point, the refrigerant returns to a liquid state.

Control Center - The central part of a refrigeration system in which the system is operated and maintained.
 
Coolant - A liquid used to remove heat.
 
Energy Efficiency Rating (EER) - Indicates the efficiency of an air conditioner, cooling system, or liquid chillers by comparing the amount of energy needed to produce cooling with the quality of the system's cooling ability and is calculated by dividing the system's BTU by its wattage. For example, if a cooling system maintains 20,000 BTUs and uses 1,500 watts, the system's energy efficient rating would equal 13.3.
 
Evaporator - Consists of a tube inside which the refrigerant soaks up heat from it surroundings, boils and changes to a vapor.
 
Expansion Valve - Mechanism located between the evaporator and condenser of liquid chillers that controls the refrigerant flow into the evaporator and controls the temperature of the evaporator.
 
Filter Drier - Removes moisture and contaminants from vaporized refrigerants of liquid chillers.
 
Heat Exchanger - A device that transfers heat from one fluid to another without mixing the fluids. (www.heatexchangers.org)
 
Hydrochlorofluorocarbon (HCFC) - A substance containing chlorine, fluorine, carbon and hydrogen that is used as an alternative to CFCs as a refrigerant and a propellant. HCFCs produce fewer effects on than ozone layer than CFCs do.
 
Hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) - A substance containing hydrogen, fluorine and carbon that is used to replace CFCs and HCFCs because of HFCs lack of effect on the ozone layer. HFCs produce no ozone depletion because the liquid chillers substance does not contain chlorine, which breaks down the ozone layer.
 
Laser Cooling - A process that utilizes light to cool atoms to a very low temperature.
 
Ozone - A molecule containing three oxygen atoms that absorbs ultraviolet radiation in the stratosphere. Ozone also remains a harmful component of smog and can contribute to lung damage and respiratory problems.
 
Ozone Depletion Potential (ODP) - A relative measurement of a substance's negative effect on the ozone layer as compared to the effects of CFC-11, which has an ODP of 1, on the ozone. For instance, a substance with an ODP of 2 can potentially cause approximately twice the ozone depletion as CFC-11 could.
 
Ozone Layer - Also referred to as the stratospheric ozone, it is the protective atmospheric layer in the stratosphere, located 12-30 miles (20-50 kilometers) above sea level, in which ultraviolet radiation is absorbed.
 
Receiver - The storage area for condensed liquid refrigerants found in most liquid chillers.
 
Refrigerants - Liquids that produce cooling upon evaporation. Refrigerants are used in the cooling process of liquid chillers.
 
Refrigeration Ton - Unit equal to 12,000 BTUs that refers to the size of the liquid chillers or industrial chillers units.
 
Sight Glass - A window in a refrigeration system through which specialists can view the inner workings of the liquid chiller systems.
 
Solenoid Valve - Mechanism in a refrigeration system that controls the flow of refrigerant, especially into the expansion valve of liquid chillers.

Total Equivalent Warning Impact (TEWI) - The total amount of carbon dioxide that a refrigeration system can produce throughout its lifetime.