Explore the Key Components and Processes of Industrial Chillers
Industrial chillers take the principles behind a home air conditioning system and take it to the next level. These coolers do more than create chilled fluid They can also cool air or a refrigerant. While some industrial chillers are used for air conditioning, others have more specific applications based on the companies using them. From air-cooled chillers to evaporative cooling towers, continue reading to learn more about the industrial chiller selections available to you.
For instance, a petrochemical company may need an industrial process cooling system to keep equipment from overheating, or a food manufacturer may require a cooler for food storage and production. To find the right chiller for your needs, you must know the types of industrial chillers available and their applications:
- What is an industrial chiller?
- How does an industrial chiller work?
- What applications does an industrial chiller have?
What is An Industrial Chiller?
Industrial chillers are refrigeration systems that cool fluids for industrial purposes. The chilled liquid is then used to cool the environment or equipment. Chillers have a multitude of applications as varied as food production and plastics creation, but what all have in common is the use of a unit to cool water or air to chill equipment or a certain area.
What is a Process Chiller?
A process chiller is a cooling system that removes heat created during an industrial process. Process chillers cool a liquid that circulates the area that needs to be cooled, maintaining the set temperature. These conventional systems are different from HVAC chillers in most areas including water circuitry and component integration.
Industrial Chiller Applications
The applications for industrial chillers have a wide range. Pharmaceuticals, food production, petrochemicals, plastic production, metal plating and agriculture are some of the industries that benefit from having industrial chillers for their many manufacturing processes.
What Are Chillers Used For?
Industrial process chillers are used in a variety of applications:
- Cover Area Cooling: Manufacturing equipment generates a lot of heat. Such a hot environment can be dangerous for employees. A cover area cooling unit can cool the air in a factory, making it safer and more comfortable for the workers. These air-cooling systems also are used for keeping offices and other working spaces cool during warm weather. Rental package units can cool temporary areas without the cost or effort of purchasing and installing a full-sized HVAC system.
- Industrial Process Cooling: Processes create heat through friction, equipment or burning. To increase the longevity of the equipment and keep the process running smoothly, you need a process chiller. Unlike standard HVAC systems you have in your home or office, process chillers cool a liquid that circulates the area to be cooled, maintaining a set temperature for larger applications like a school. This liquid may be water, propylene or ethylene glycol, or even something like methanol or ethanol. Since processes are as diverse as petrochemical manufacturing and plastics production, process coolers have many different forms. The cooled liquid circulates equipment to keep it at safe operating temperatures or cool it to a lower temperature for a process.
- Plastic Manufacturing: Plastic is very temperature-sensitive. If it gets too hot, plastic can melt. During production, plastics need to cool in molds to an appropriate temperature. Cooling the molds requires a hard-working chiller. For extruded plastics, the formed plastic needs a cooling bath to chill in. A chiller provides the cooling for this bath. For extrusion plastics production, the ideal setup includes a second heat exchanger to separate the water used for cooling the equipment and the extrusion water. Keeping these waters separated prevents contamination from plastics in the extrusion water.
- Metal Plating and Anodizing: Metal plating can be done with electroplating or electroless plating. Both methods require high temperatures. Anodizing is a similar process to reduce corrosion on non-iron surfaces. It, too, uses high temperatures to electrically bond the finish to the metal. Because both anodizing and metal plating require temperatures ranging in the hundreds of degrees, companies specializing in these processes need a heavy-duty chiller to remove the heat produced from the solution. Some shops solve the problem of heat removal by sending the plating or anodizing liquid to a heat exchanger while others will use glycol or water-containing coils to cool the fluid in the tank.
- Food Processing: The food production industry is the first application many people think of when they list uses for industrial chillers. While most people think of refrigerators, industrial process chillers are also an essential part of this industry. Glycol coolers send chilled propylene glycol through cooling coils for chilling food or beverage storage units. For instance, breweries and wineries frequently use glycol chillers to keep their products at the perfect temperature. The beverage industry isn’t the only one to use chillers. Food manufacturers use process coolers to chill dough mixers or cool ice cream makers.
Types of Industrial Chillers
Types of chillers used in industries such as petrochemicals and food production include air-cooled and water-cooled. These types of chillers differ in how the refrigerant gives off the heat it absorbs. Each class has its advantages and disadvantages, depending on its use:
- Air-Cooled Chillers: Air-cooled chillers use ambient air to cool the refrigerant. These cooling units have numerous applications. Food processing and plastics use air-cooled chillers to maintain the temperatures of products. Many maintenance personnel prefer air-cooled chillers because they are stand-alone units and do not require any additional equipment to function.
- Water-Cooled Chillers: Industrial water chillers require a separate cooling tower to remove heat from the refrigerant. Compared to air-cooled chillers, water-cooled units take up less space, even with the cooling tower. But they do need a sizable water-filled tower that requires a continual water source, which wastes water. This can be a detriment, especially in areas with water restrictions.
Chiller Compressor Types
Beyond the means of cooling the refrigerant, chillers also have several compressor types. Screw and scroll are two different ways of compressing the cooling agent used in the chiller:
- Screw chillers: Screw chillers come in water-cooled and air-cooled varieties. These use the movement and force of one or two screws to compress the refrigerant inside. Screw chillers come in capacities of 30 to 400+ tons for everything from heavy-duty to light-duty HVAC applications.
- Scroll chillers: A set of interlocking scrolls inside the compressor pressurizes the refrigerant in a scroll chiller. Like screw chillers, scroll coolers may be air-cooled or water-cooled. Industrial applications of scroll chillers include everything from drinking fountain coolers to cutting with water jets or lasers. Scroll chillers have capacities even smaller than screw chillers for cooling a single piece of equipment. You will find 2 to 140 tons in scroll chiller tonnages.
Custom Chillers
In addition to specific compressors used with cooling systems, some chillers have particular applications. Two types, explosion-proof and low-temp, are custom chillers used by petrochemical companies. But these types of industrial chillers also have utility in other industries, such as ice rink maintenance and pharmaceutical production:
- Explosion-proof: In highly volatile situations, you want a reliable chiller that won’t be compromised by heavy-duty use. Off-shore oil rigs and petrochemical facilities use explosion-proof chillers for their durable design. We’ve worked with companies such as Dow Chemical, Exxon, Shell and Chevron to provide them with high-quality, reduced-risk chillers. All of our XP duty chillers are designed from the ground up to meet the area classification needs and provide the longest life.
- Low-temp: Low-temp chillers reach down to -40 degrees Fahrenheit. These may use either scroll or screw compressors to attain these low temperatures. Scroll compressors can operate down to approximately 0 degrees F, while screw compressors are capable of producing down to -40F. These chillers are often used in petrochemical cooling and to create the ice for ice skating rinks, but they also have other applications. The medical field uses these coolers to manufacture or test various drugs, while the food industry uses the low temperatures for instantly freezing food before storage.
How Does a Chiller Work?
An industrial chiller works by directing heat away from process equipment through two operational principles: heat absorption or vapor compression. By changing the state or pressure of refrigerant in the compressor, evaporator and condenser, the unit is able to cool equipment or an environment. Each component of an industrial chiller plays a role in transferring heat from the process away and taking chilled liquid back into the process. To understand how these systems work, we have to examine all the different elements involved.
Industrial Chiller Liquid
The first step for any chiller starts with the refrigerant. This chemical holds more heat than water does, which allows for more efficient cooling. The coolant readily changes state