CHILLERS

Chillers consist of four main components: 1. The evaporator (the low temperature side of the system, i.e., the cooling side) 2. The compressor 3. The condenser (the high temperature side of the system, i.e., the heatrejection side) 4. The expansion valve

TYPES OF CHILLERS MECHANICAL COMPRESSOR CHILLERS 1. Reciprocating 2. Rotary screw 3. Centrifugal 4. Frictionless centrifugal ABSORPTION CHILLERS

KEY COMPONENTS OF A MECHANICAL COMPRESSOR CHILLER EVAPORATOR Chillers produce chilled water in the evaporator where cold refrigerant flows over the evaporator tube bundle. The refrigerant evaporates (changes into vapour) as the heat is transferred from the water to the refrigerant. The chilled water is then pumped, via the chilled-water distribution system to the buildings air- handling units. The chilled water passes through coils in the air-handler to remove heat from the air used to condition spaces throughout the building. The warm water (warmed by the heat transferred from the building ventilation air) returns to the evaporator and the cycle starts over. Basically, there are two major categories of evaporators used in industrial refrigeration practice. These are air coils and liquid chillers.

AIR-COILED EVAPORATORS In the air coil, the refrigerant flows through the tubes and air passes over the outside of the tubes. For effective heat transfer, fins are fastened to the outside of the tubes and air flows between the fins.

LIQUID CHILLER EVAPORATORS

The liquid-chilling evaporators in the figure below (fig. 1a & fig. 1b) are of the shell-and-tube design, while fig. 2 is a plate-type chiller. In Fig. 1a the refrigerant boils in the shell while the liquid flows through the tubes. In Fig. 1b the roles of the tubes and shell are reversed. The plate-type evaporator in Fig. 2 is growing in market share and is an adaptation of the plate-type heat exchanger used for many years in the food industry. Some of its popularity is attributable to its compactness and also that the refrigerant charge is less than in a shell-andtube evaporator. The reduced charge characteristic is attractive both when ammonia and the new chlorine-free refrigerants are used. A low-charge ammonia system is desirable for safety reasons, and a low-charge chlorine-free system minimizes the cost of these expensive refrigerants.

Fig. 1 (a and b)

Fig. 2

COMPRESSOR Vaporized refrigerant leaves the evaporator and travels to the compressor where it is compressed mechanically, and changed into a high-pressure, hightemperature vapour. Upon leaving the compressor, the refrigerant enters the condenser side of the chiller.

CONDENSER Inside the water-cooled condenser, hot refrigerant flows around the tubes containing the condenser-loop water. The heat transfers to the water, causing the refrigerant to condense into liquid form. The condenser water is pumped from the condenser bundle to the cooling tower where heat is transferred from the water to the atmosphere. The liquid refrigerant then travels to the expansion valve.

EXPANSION VALVE

The refrigerant flows into the evaporator through the expansion valve or metering device. This valve controls the rate of cooling. Once through the valve, the refrigerant expands to a lower pressure and a much lower temperature. It flows around the evaporator tubes, absorbing the heat of the chilled water thats been returned from the air handlers, completing the refrigeration cycle.