Central Plant Water Chiller Optimization 263

Increasing chiller and coil temperature differential will re-

duce the flow rate or gpm required.

Optimize Chillers in Parallel

In some multiple-chiller operations, with chillers piped in
parallel, chilled water is always circulated through all the chillers
even when only one chiller is operating to meet a light cooling
load demand. The result of this process results in wasted pump
energy. The situation requires that the on-line chiller operate at a
low evaporator temperature to produce chilled water at tempera-
tures to meet the desired supply water temperature and offset the
mixing effect of the water being circulated through the off-line
chillers. COP is reduced and horsepower rises.
Optimizing a parallel-piped system requires the installation
of multiple pumps, one for each chiller. Each pump is selected
and balanced for the gpm required and interlocked with its asso-
ciated chiller. Isolating valves that close when a chiller goes off-
line are installed on each chiller. Then, under lighter loads off-line
chillers will be isolated. Only on-line chillers and pumps will be
operating, thus reducing pumping horsepower. The on-line chill-
ers will operate at evaporator and water temperatures to meet the
load. Pumping horsepower will drop by the cube [HP2 = HPl ×
(gpm2/gpml)3] if the chilled water volume through the chiller can
be reduced and the pump impeller trimmed. Another solution,
instead of multiple chilled water pumps, is the installation of a
multi-speed or variable drive on the present pump to make it
multi- or variable volume.
When greater water volume is required in the system than
can be supplied by on-line chillers consider installing variable
volume system pumps sized for the critical load and a bypass
(uncoupler or common loop) around the chillers. Each chiller
has a dedicated constant volume pump. At lighter loads the
chillers and the dedicated pumps go off-line and the system
pumps draw through the bypass (common or uncoupler loop)
and from the on-line chillers to satisfy the load (Figure 16-1,
operations 1-5).
264 HVAC Fundamentals

Figure 16-1. Variable flow chilled water system, chillers in parallel.

Figure 16-1 Operation 1—Maximum Flow (2000 gpm)

1. Both chillers and their associated pumps are operating. The
pumps are constant speed and volume. Each pump, when
on, moves 1000 gpm, a total of 2000 gpm.

2. The thermostats in the system are calling for full flow (full
cooling), 2000 gpm.

3. Both system pumps are operating. The pumps are variable

speed and volume. At maximum flow each pump is moving
1000 gpm, a total of 2000 gpm.

4. Water leaves the chillers at 45°F, goes through the coils where
it picks up heat, and returns to the chillers at 55°F.

Figure 16-1 Operation 2—Reduced Flow (1500 gpm)

1. Both chillers and their associated pumps are operating. The