Nowadays, refrigeration equipment called chiller is used in many areas of human life. What it is? The answers to this and many other questions are in the article.
Chiller - what is it
This is a special equipment that is used to cool liquid substances. An important feature of the chiller is its cooling capacity, that is, the ability to collect the heat that the cooled medium emits. Therefore, before using such a machine, it is necessary to carry out careful calculations of heat inflows in the room in different conditions.
Chillers are used in many areas of the economy: in mechanical engineering, metal processing industries, food industry, medicine, etc. Also, the chiller is widely used in modern air conditioning systems. Air conditioners made on the basis of the chiller allow centralized conditioning of a large number of rooms.
The ability to maintain the temperature necessary for the smooth operation of equipment has made equipment such as a chiller indispensable for many industries . What is it and what is its value? The answers to these questions lie in the application.
Fields of application
Most chillers are used for air conditioning. But there are other areas in which the chiller is used:
- Beverage cooling in food production. So, according to technological features, wine, cognac, syrups, juices, beer require lowering the temperature.
- Cooling process and drinking water in confectionery and bakery equipment.
- Maintaining the temperature of the water in the pools.
- Creation of ice rinks in sports and entertainment complexes.
- Production of cooling medical equipment.
- Serving pharmaceutical needs.
- Laser technology.
- Manufacture of rubber and plastic products.
- Chemical industry.
Principle of operation
The main task of the machine is to compress the refrigerant vapor, thereby increasing the pressure so that condensation begins. The chiller circuit is based on this principle. So, under the influence of pressure, the liquid begins to evaporate. Then the vapor-liquid mixture enters the condenser, which transfers heat to the external environment. In this case, the refrigerant goes completely into a liquid state and enters an expansion device - a choke, which is located in front of the evaporator. Under the influence of low pressure, the refrigerant begins to boil and, passing through the evaporator, passes into a gaseous state. At this moment, it absorbs thermal energy from the coolant, reducing its temperature.
This is how any chiller works. Cooling takes place according to one scheme, regardless of the model and type of chiller.
Chiller Classification
Now manufacturers produce a wide range of chillers with different capacities - from 5 to 9000 kW. Such powerful units allow you to condition both small rooms and multi-story buildings.
All existing chillers are classified according to the following criteria:
1. By type of condenser cooling:
- Water - the condenser is cooled by ordinary running water. A water chiller is considered the most economical and cheaper. Also, the water-type air conditioner is smaller. But for such a unit, the installation of a water recycling system will be required.
- Air - work on the same principle as ordinary household air conditioners. That is, a stream of air is sent from the fan, which blows around the condenser.
2. By the presence of the heating function:
- chillers with a heat pump - such models can not only cool the coolant, but also heat it;
- chillers without heat pump.
3. By type of construction:
- With built-in condenser - air-cooled chillers can be produced in a monoblock design. In this case, the chiller is an autonomous machine, to which only pipelines from the pumping station are connected.
- Remote condensate chiller - this design of the machine allows you to install the main equipment in the room, and the condensate itself can be carried out. For example, on the roof or the exterior of a building’s wall. This solution simplifies the maintenance of the chiller and increases reliability, since a stable temperature is kept indoors. In addition, since the chiller and all pipelines are in the building, there is no need to use non-freezing fluids and drain water in the winter.
4. By type of fan:
- Monoblock air-cooled chillers with an axial fan - they are slightly cheaper, but they create a weak air pressure. For this reason, chillers with an axial fan are usually placed in an open place - on the wall of a building or on the roof.
- Monoblock chillers with a centrifugal fan - it creates a stronger air pressure, which allows you to place the equipment indoors. And air intake and exhaust provide air ducts.
Absorption Chillers
In addition to traditional cooling machines, there is an absorption chiller. What is it, you can understand by name. In such a chiller, water and absorbent are used instead of freon. The absorption cooling cycle is similar to freon, because heat is absorbed by the refrigerant and passes from the vapor state to the liquid. But the absorption chiller process is not over here. Under the influence of an external heat source (hot water, gas burner, etc.), water vapors are released from the diluted absorbent of lithium bromide, which enter the condenser. Here the vapor condenses into the liquid that enters the evaporator. At this point, it evaporates, and the absorbent absorbs the vapor - a concentrated solution of lithium bromide. Then the solution is again heated, and the cooling cycle is repeated again.
Chiller fan coil system
The most common today is the chiller-fan coil system. In this case, the chiller works with internal closers called fan coil units. Their number may be different, but in some chiller models the number of fan coils is limited.
Fancoil is an analogue of the internal unit of a split system, but it works on water. It connects to the chiller with a piping system.
Fancoils are ceiling, wall, floor, cassette and cable. Chassis closers are also available, which can be hidden behind a suspended ceiling or hidden in a decorative box.
An important advantage of the chiller-fan coil system is the unlimited length of communications. The pluses include the low cost of wiring, since conventional water pipes can be used to circulate the refrigerant.
Advantages of air conditioners with chillers
Air conditioning systems that use a chiller have several advantages:
- Installation of the chiller makes it possible to place refrigeration equipment at a distance from the refrigerated space.
- Heating chillers completely replace the traditional heating system. Therefore, the number of batteries in such rooms can be reduced.
- It is possible to connect any number of fan coils.
How to choose the right chiller
When choosing a chiller, you should pay attention to the following parameters:
- machine power;
- energy saving while working in different modes;
- reliability;
- maintainability;
- the presence of protective automation;
- equipment placement area;
- the possibility of using single-circuit installations without alterations of the entire system;
- environmental friendliness and safety of use.
Innovative RHOSS Systems
Today, RHOSS is considered one of the largest European manufacturers of air conditioning systems. The chiller of this brand is characterized by a high level of reliability and a long service life. The manufactured equipment is constantly tested and passes technical control, the results of which confirm the compliance of products with high quality standards.
RHOSS products have high performance. The equipment produced, in addition to mandatory certification, is tested by EUROVEN. This allows us to confirm the high quality and performance of RHOSS air conditioning machines. The chiller of this manufacturer passes rigorous tests at different temperatures of air and water. Therefore, when choosing air conditioning systems, it is better to give preference to high-quality and proven products than cheaper ones, but with worse performance.
How much is a chiller
The cost of the chiller is closely related to the configuration. The brand of the manufacturer also significantly affects the price. The cost of an air-cooled mini-chiller ranges from 220-450 thousand rubles. The price of a large industrial cooling machine can be more than 10 million rubles.
If you need to choose a powerful and high-quality chiller, price is not the only parameter that you should pay attention to. It is very important to choose a model that will best meet the requirements.
Many companies offer their customers professional selection of air conditioning, its installation and maintenance. Firstly, it is very convenient for the buyer, since there is no need to look for other contracting organizations. And secondly, the chiller will be much cheaper.