WATER COOLED CHILLERS Vs VARIABLE REFRIGERANT FLOW SYSTEM

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Why VRF system need less power ?

No Of Need Water Pump system

Outdoor Units Small capacity of Fans
Ductless or Short Duct style
Advanced Technology
works of Compressor is
controlled by Inverter device
according to Heat Load
Simple Heat Transfer Media
Refrigerant - cool air
Refrigerant control
Electronic expansion valve

Indoor Units
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Why Chiller system need more power ?

A lot Power of Heat transfer

During Over Cooling
Cooling Tower ( Thermo OFF)
FCU or AHU

Compressor = OFF
Fan & Pump = still ON

Complicated Heat Transfer

Media

Pump Chiller Pump Refrigerant - Water - Cool Air

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Central A/C System VRF System
Cooling
tower
Pump
Water piping
Simplicity in VRF System
Outdoor Outdoor
unit unit

indoor
Pump Refrigerant piping unit
AHU FCU FCU

Dependant Control
to heat source Remote
controller Independent control to
For For One system heat each other
cooling heating
source
Multi system heat sources
Large Space needed

Inefficient system operation Saving Space

Complicated maintenance by expert

Energy efficient
engineers
Simple maintenance
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Chiller System VRF System

Cooling tower
High Reliability
EXP tank
Outdoor unit
Fan coil
Air Handling
Unit
T

Automati
c Valve T
Indoor unit

Header
Special Joint
Chiller Pum
BM T P
p
S Boiler
Complicated system with many Highly reliable syste
components from various manufactures m
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with less component
Ease of cool/heat changeover
Central A/C System VRF System
Too much equipment Simple Operation
Cooling Outdoor
tower unit
Pump Cooling and Heating by
Water piping only one outdoor unit

Refrigerant piping
FCU FCU
Pump AHU

Indoor
unit
For For Remote
cooling heating controller
Easy Operation
Complicated

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 1. Design Comparison
VRF is very simplified refrigerant piping system. More flexible than water piping.

Feature Air Cooled Chiller system Variable Refrigerant Flow System

System • Chiller • Cooling tower • Outdoor unit (air-cooled type)

composition • FCU (Fan Coil Unit) • Water piping, Duct working • Indoor unit
• AHU (Air Handling Unit) • Water pumps • Refrigerant piping

Chiller

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1. Design Comparison

Easy network wiring

Feature Chiller system Variable Refrigerant Flow System

Network • Complicated wiring • Simple wiring

ACP

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 1. Design Comparison

ALL VRF manufacturers provide end to end solutions

Feature Chiller system Variable Refrigerant Flow System

• Complicated control structure, additional
control manager in the system needed,
Indoor Unit and increasing cost
• Third part control provider needed,
Control System
interconnectivity problems.
• Indoor unit variety is restricted.
• Different manufacturer are required for diff
erent solutions.
• Simple control structure
No additional control provider
• Central control and energy monitoring with
low cost available
• Wide Range of indoor units by same
manufacturer.

VAV boxes
supplier
[Manufacturer]
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2. Operation Comparison

After office hours operation, VRF could be operated for the user demands.

Feature Chiller system Variable Refrigerant Flow System

• The systems commonly condition the entire building • The systems condition only the
Capacity
at predetermined times, with no regard to user demands. necessary rooms with regard
control
(very hot midnight, weekend, holiday etc) to user demands.

Operating Area

< Limited operation> <Better Capacity operation>

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 Temp. control

2. Operation Comparison
Precise temperature control

Feature Chiller system Variable Refrigerant Flow System

Temperature Require Very precise

control 1 or 2 ± 0.5

Cooling
VRF System
Chiller system
30
± 0.5 0 C from set point
Room temp.

25

20

15

10 20 30 40 50 60 70 MIN.

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3. Installation Comparison
VRF system is no need for a machine room. Does not need a duct space.

Feature Chiller system Variable Refrigerant Flow System

Space
• Large duct space • Small refrigerant space
Efficiency

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3. Installation Comparison

VRF system is no need for a machine room. Does not need a duct space.

Feature Chiller system Variable Refrigerant Flow System

Installation
• Need a machine room • No need a machine room
space

Pump
(Machine room drawing)

Chiller (Rooftop drawing)

Boiler

Cooling Outdoor
tower Unit

(On the rooftop)

(On the rooftop)

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3. Installation Comparison
Efficient use of space is possible for VRF system

Feature Chiller system Variable Refrigerant Flow System

Space
• Large pipe shaft is needed for water piping • Small pipe shaft is needed
Efficiency

CHILLER SYSTEM VRF System

1/3

P P

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3. Installation Comparison

VRF system expansion is very easy with extra outdoor & indoor unit.

Feature Chiller system Variable Refrigerant Flow System

• Capacity addition is difficult

System
as additional mechanical room, pump, cooling tower, • System Expansion is Easy
Expansion
panel and piping is required.

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 4. Commissioning Comparison

There are a lot of commissioning points for the chiller system

Feature Chiller system Variable Refrigerant Flow System

Commissioning • 6 Steps Commissioning • 1 Step Commissioning

(4)

6 steps Commissioning 1 step Commissioning

Water cooled chiller (3)

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 5. Maintenance Comparison

Easy Maintenance of VRF compared to chilled water systems.

Feature Chiller system Variable Refrigerant Flow System

• Filter cleaning
• Pump • Filter cleaning
• Duct cleaning
Maintenance • Water treatment • Heat exchanger cleaning
• Water pipe – maintenance
• Periodical oil change, overhaul • Cooling tower cleaning

(4)

Water cooled chiller (3)

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 5. Maintenance Comparison
(For Chiller) Maintenance & cleaning periodically by exclusive company as scale formation is very high

Feature Chiller system Variable Refrigerant Flow System

Scale • Need to clean the water pipes

• No water pipes : No scale (use refrigerant)
cleaning System efficiency drop & origin of germs
Energy Loss

Unit : %

Unit : mm

thickness of scale

After 2~3year After 5~6year After 7~8year < The system is consist of refrigerant pipes >
10% 25~30% 35~40%
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 5. Maintenance Comparison

Highly Skilled maintenance staff is needed for chillers

Feature Chiller system Variable Refrigerant Flow System

• The system requires certified maintenance

Maintenance staff not only for chillers but also pumps, • No need special maintenance staff.
Staff boilers, cooling towers etc. • Economic and easy maintenance
• More expensive maintenance cost.

< Maintenance Staff> <NO Maintenance Staff>

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6. Reliability Comparison

Feature Chiller system Variable Refrigerant Flow System

• Pipe erosion can cause leakage.
Pipe • System capacity reduction. • Refrigerant does not cause corrosion therefore
Erosion • Brines use increase corrosion, anti corrosion no pipe damage occurred
additives needed

< Water pipe leakage > <Cooper Pipe>

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The Inverter Driven Working Principle
Thus the speed of the compressor is varied depending upon the load
achieving Variable refrigerant Flow. Hence more the inverter better the
efficiency.

Inverter Output
Frequency
Power supply
Input frequency 90 Hz 40Hz
Inverter
u
50Hz t1

AC/DC DC/AC
t Rectifier Inverter t

50 Hz 40 Hz
90 Hz

• This is an example of AC Inverter – Toshiba Uses DC Control signal

Inverter in which the AC – DC Conversion is eliminated
thus saving power.

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App. Energy efficiency (IPLV)

ARI Released The New Standard in 2003

Available through Portion by cooling load (%)

the ARI web site:
WWW.ARI.ORG kW / kW (ARI Part load weighting factors)

1
IPLV
OR =
APLV 0.01 + 0.42 + 0.45 + 0.12
A B C D

ARI550/590-2003

WEIGHTED (%) 1% 42% 45% 12%

Cooling Load 100% 75% 50% 25%

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3 Kinds of VRF system
100%Load 50%Load 100%Load 50%Load

N N * INV N N
comp. 1 2 1 2
1 2 2 Always
INV Fix Inv Fix run All Inverter
Co Co Co Co INV INV INV INV
mp mp mp mp Co Co Co Co
mp mp mp mp

Partial Inverter

Digital Scroll
1 2
DS Fix
Co Co
mp mp * DS:digital scroll,Others are fixed speed compressor

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