What is a Water Chiller?

A chiller is a mechanical refrigeration device like an air conditioner except that it cools a
fluid (usually water) instead of cooling air. When a large air conditioner is required it is
sometimes more feasible to use one large chiller instead of many small air conditioners.
Chillers are also used wherever there is a need for cooling a fluid such as a chemical
process or for plastics molding. To simplify the concept of a chiller you should compare it
to a drinking fountain where you get cold “chilled” water.

What are the major components of a water chiller?

A “chiller” consists of a few major components. A compressor, an evaporator heat

exchanger, a condenser heat exchanger, an expansion valve or two and some piping and
controls are the basics. Compressors are usually of reciprocating, scroll, centrifugal, or
rotary screw types. The evaporator heat exchanger is usually of shell & tube
constructions and is the exchanger where chilled water would be produced. The
condenser heat exchanger can be either air-cooled, a coil or coils and a fan or fans, or
water-cooled, another shell & tube heat exchanger cooled by cooling tower or other
water.

How does the water chiller produce chilled water?

A chiller removes heat from a place where it is not needed or wanted and moves it to a
place where it doesn’t matter. A chiller produces cold water by the transfer of heat from
entering water to refrigerant in the evaporator heat exchanger. A typical chiller would for
example chill 55°F EWT, (entering water temp.), down to 45°F LWT, (leaving water
temp.). The refrigerant would then carry the heat to the condenser for it to be removed
to the environment via an air-cooled coil or water-cooled heat exchanger. If a cooling
tower cools a water-cooled heat exchanger, the cooling tower will ultimately reject the
heat to the environment. Once the refrigerant leaves the condenser heat exchanger it
will be compressed and the cycle continues.

What is the difference between a water chiller and a cooling

tower?

A cooling tower is used to cool water instead of chilling it. Cooling towers use the
evaporative cooling effect and transfer heat to the environment. Generally water is
dropped through a fill material while air is moved across the fill, transferring heat from
the water to the air. The major component of a cooling tower is a fan to move the air
across the fill material. Cooling towers work for cooling higher temperature water or
fluids. A typical cooling tower would for example cool 95°F EWT down to 85°F LWT.
Cooling towers are often used in conjunction with water-cooled chillers, but have many
stand-alone uses as well.

How do I know if I need a water chiller or a cooling tower?

Depending on the application and operating conditions, chiller and cooling towers both
have a place and design applications they are best for. Cooling towers are most effective
at LWT temperatures of 75°F and higher, while you would most likely need a chiller for
LWT of 75°F or less. For LWT temperatures of 65°F and lower, cooling towers would
likely not be an option, only a chiller can produce LWT of 65°F and lower.
Why should I buy a used chiller, cooling tower or other piece of
HVAC or related equipment?

To save time.

• Depending on the type of chiller and manufacturer, new equipment lead

times can easily be weeks if not months. Can you afford to do without or
rent that long? Used and surplus chiller, cooling towers, heat exchangers,
packaged ac units, and other hvac and related equipment is available,
often for immediate shipment.

To save money versus buying.

• To save money versus purchasing a new chiller or cooling tower. Quality

late model to unused surplus is available for significant savings versus
new. You should be able to purchase the highest quality level for 75% of
new or less down to 25% to 50% of new for older units with significant life
left.

To save money versus renting.

• To save money versus renting a chiller or other piece of hvac equipment.

Often, a quality used chiller or cooling tower can be purchased instead of
renting. If you are considering a recurring or rental period of more than a
month or two you should investigate the possibility of buying a used
chiller. A quality used chiller can often be purchased for less than you
would spend renting. The saving could really add up if it’s a recurring
rental for you.

To test a process or for a project.

• You may need to test a process or piece of equipment, or have a special

project requiring a chiller or cooling tower as a component. You can often
find a quality used piece that will fit the application, without too big a
strain on your budget. If the process or project is new, you may want to
ensure that you have the right size chiller with a used chiller or cooling
tower instead of committing to, and spending the money for a new chiller.

How do I size a chiller or air conditioner for rental purposes?

You need a chiller, air conditioner, cooling tower, or other piece of hvac equipment
for rental for planned maintenance or replacement of an existing piece of
equipment. You know your existing equipment functioned properly and know or
can determine its size.

• Knowing your chiller or other piece of hvac equipment’s actual size is the
easiest way to determine sizing for rental purposes. Size can usually be
determined from the model # of the chiller, and if you purchased the
equipment new, you should have manuals and possibly even Submittal
Data from the manufacturer. {Trane, Carrier, York, McQuay are a few
 examples of the major manufacturers of chillers and hvac equipment.}
Original Submittal Data is the best source, since it will show the size, flow
rates, water temperatures and other information about the chiller.

You need a chiller or cooling tower for rental for a process or piece of equipment, but
are not sure how to size it. The basic formulas for calculating chiller or cooling
tower heat loads require that you know GPM, Gallons Per Minute, and ΔT, “Delta
T”, the change in temperature of the water or fluid through your process. 1 ton =
12,000 BTUs.

• Chiller Duty Required (Tons) = GPM multiplied by “ΔT” divided by 24.

• Cooling Tower Duty Required (Tons) = GPM multiplied by “ΔT” divided by

30.

• Chillers are best utilized and these “rule of thumb” formulas apply with
LWT near 45°F and water as the fluid being chilled.

• Cooling towers are best utilized and these “rule of thumb” formulas apply
with LWT near 85°F and water as the fluid being chilled.

You need to Air Condition a tent or building not normally supplied by A/C. Generally
speaking you need about 1 Ton, 12,000 BTUs, for every 100 square feet of tent or
building space. Insulation, the number of people to be in the building or tent, the
number of openings, wheter or not return air is available, and other factors may
increase or decrease the amount of AC tonnage needed.

To determine the amount of A/C required for a vessel cooling job requires calculation
of the volume of the vessel. Basic formulas for vessel volume are:

• Volume of cylinder = π r2 x H, ( pi x radius (squared) x Height)

• Volume of box = w x h x l. (width x height x length)

• Volume of sphere = d3 x .5236. (diameter(cubed) x .5236)

Next calculate the air flow based on the customer required air changes per hour,
usually 2 – 4, but could be as much as 6 in a high ambient, non-insulated
environment.

• CFM = Volume x Air Changes / 60 Minutes (CFM = Cubic Feet per Minute)

To determine tons of AC needed you will to calculate the Δh (change in enthalpy),

or assume 10 to 15 as a rule of thumb.

• Tons = CFM x 4.45 x Δh / 12,000

• Tons = Cubic Feet per Minute (airflow) times 4.45 times the change in
enthalpy divided by 12,000.

Other applications of rental chillers, air conditioners, cooling towers, and other related
hvac equipment may require additional guidance for proper calculation.
pump head calculation?

The airconditioning air cooled chiller of 75tr are 2 no"s on second floor terrace level &
AHU"s are at first floor level & each floor level height is 15 ft.

totally there are 14 AHU"s.

i want to know below specified calcucaltions?.FOR CLOSED PIPE SYSTEM

what is the pump head?.

what is pump motor capacity (if motor is kirloskar)?.
pipe size of suction (from AHU to chiller )?.
pipe size of discharge (from chiller to AHU )?.
what are all pipe frictional loss?.fps?.
the sum of all friction pressure drops?.....in deatil
what will be the elbow,valves, friction loss?.

ANOTHER QUESTION?........

M.S.PIPE C-CLASS,B-CLASS,A-CLASS SPECIFICATIONS?.

BALL VALVE,BUTTERFLY VALVE,EXPANSION
VALVES(BELLOWS),BALANCING VALVE,NON RETURN VALVE,3-WAY
VALVE TECHANICAL SPECIFICATIONS FOR PROCURING THE
MATERIAL?.......

The airconditioning air cooled chiller of 75tr are 2 no"s on second floor terrace level &
AHU"s are at first floor level & each floor level height is 15 ft.

totally there are 14 AHU"s.

i want to know below specified calcucaltions?.FOR CLOSED PIPE SYSTEM

what is the pump head?.

what is pump motor capacity (if motor is kirloskar)?.
pipe size of suction (from AHU to chiller )?.
pipe size of discharge (from chiller to AHU )?.
what are all pipe frictional loss?.fps?.
the sum of all friction pressure drops?.....in deatil
what will be the elbow,valves, friction loss?.

ANOTHER QUESTION?........

M.S.PIPE C-CLASS,B-CLASS,A-CLASS SPECIFICATIONS?.

BALL VALVE,BUTTERFLY VALVE,EXPANSION VALVES(BELLOWS),BALANCING
VALVE,NON RETURN VALVE,3-WAY VALVE TECHANICAL SPECIFICATIONS
FOR PROCURING THE MATERIAL?.......
#1 the height of the water the colume 1ft h= 0.433 psi (g), 10 ft = 4.33
#2 the ability of the pump to move water at a given press and volume
#3 depend on your requirement and the coil's / chiller's spec
#4 same as 3
# 5 it is express in INch of water per 100ft of piping( 1 ft = 12 inch=0.433 psi)
#6 it is express in equipvalent feet of pipe(of the same diameter)
# 7 actually it called total lost ( friction + head), it is the biggest press lost

in order to correctly answer Q2-7, you need to know your peak load and the temps you
desired
try to get the specs from the companies you intend to the chiller/ pipes/pump
Originally Posted by rajuas100
The airconditioning air cooled chiller of 75tr are 2 no"s on second floor terrace level &
AHU"s are at first floor level & each floor level height is 15 ft.

totally there are 14 AHU"s.

i want to know below specified calcucaltions?.FOR CLOSED PIPE SYSTEM

what is the pump head?.

what is pump motor capacity (if motor is kirloskar)?.
pipe size of suction (from AHU to chiller )?.
pipe size of discharge (from chiller to AHU )?.
what are all pipe frictional loss?.fps?.
the sum of all friction pressure drops?.....in deatil
what will be the elbow,valves, friction loss?.

ANOTHER QUESTION?........

M.S.PIPE C-CLASS,B-CLASS,A-CLASS SPECIFICATIONS?.

BALL VALVE,BUTTERFLY VALVE,EXPANSION VALVES(BELLOWS),BALANCING
VALVE,NON RETURN VALVE,3-WAY VALVE TECHANICAL SPECIFICATIONS
FOR PROCURING THE MATERIAL?.......
M.S.PIPE C-CLASS,B-CLASS,A-CLASS SPECIFICATIONS?.for HVAC chiller pipe
Sch.40 or 80>?>...............
BALL VALVE,BUTTERFLY VALVE,EXPANSION VALVES(BELLOWS),BALANCING
VALVE,NON RETURN VALVE,3-WAY VALVE TECHANICAL SPECIFICATIONS
FOR PROCURING THE MATERIAL?.......
Get the Facility
Managers' Toolbar

Strategies for HVAC Systems

By James Piper
January 2006
Heating and air-conditioning systems account for 50-80 percent of the total energy use in
most commercial and institutional buildings. With such a high percentage of energy use
concentrated in these two areas, it is no surprise that the recent rise in energy prices and
concerns over energy supplier reliability have prompted maintenance and engineering
managers to focus attention on these systems, particularly boilers and chillers.Even a slight
improvement in the operating efficiency of these components translates into big cuts in
energy use and costs. Suppose the average load on a large chiller plant is 3,000 tons. If a
manager can improve its average operating efficiency from 0.91 kW/ton to 0.70 kW/ton, the
monthly savings will top $27,000, assuming an average electricity cost of $0.06 per kWh.
While managers can take many steps to improve the operating efficiency of chillers and
boilers, all energy-improvement programs should start by making existing equipment operate
as efficiently as possible.
How can technicians achieve this goal? Two steps can enhance operation - monitoring and
maintenance. Basic maintenance, such as cleaning and adjustments, will keep boilers and
chillers operating so they minimize energy use.
But the only way to achieve peak operating efficiencies is to regularly monitor operating
parameters. Data from a monitoring program will tell operators how to adjust the equipment
and will identify the need for maintenance tasks.

Chiller Monitoring
Chillers present a challenge to managers when it comes to operating efficiency. While
manufacturers rate chiller efficiency at full load, most building chillers rarely operate at full
load. Part-load efficiencies are lower and vary with a number of parameters, including supply
and return chilled-water temperatures, entering condenser-water temperature, and condenser
and chilled-water flow rates.
Compounding the challenge is the level of precision needed in measuring each parameter to
calculate efficiency accurately. An error of as little as 1 degree in water-temperature
measurements can cause an error in the efficiency calculation of 1-2 percent. A similar error
in flow measurement can result in an even larger error in calculating efficiency. Therefore, it
is critical to install high-quality flow meters and temperature sensors and to maintain them
properly.
To be effective, a chiller efficiency-monitoring program must be ongoing. As data is collected
under different operating conditions, managers will develop an efficiency performance
baseline for the chiller. Technicians should compare this baseline to the manufacturer's
published performance curve to determine if the chiller is performing as efficiently as
possible.
As data continues to be compiled, technicians will be able to monitor trends in performance.
While managers can expect a slight deterioration in performance, due to normal wear and
tear, they should look for trends that might indicate a need for maintenance, such as cleaning
the chiller's tubes, a replacing refrigerant, or overhauling the chiller.
Fortunately, a new generation of monitoring equipment is available to assist managers in
monitoring chiller performance. This equipment collects the necessary data and automatically
calculates the chiller's efficiency.
The equipment then compares the operating parameters and the calculated efficiency to past
performance values, triggering an alarm if a value falls outside the expected range. By
constantly monitoring chiller operation, the systems assist in keeping chillers at peak
operating efficiency, and they help technicians detect and troubleshoot problems.

Boilers
Efficiency calculations for chillers determine overall efficiency expressed as the ratio of
energy input to energy output. Boilers require a different efficiency calculation - combustion
efficiency.
A boiler's combustion efficiency measures how completely fuel burns and how effectively the
generated heat transfers to water or steam. The measurement does not take into account heat
loss from the boiler's surface, blowdown loss, or energy used by auxiliary equipment. With
good test equipment, technicians can measure it with 98 percent accuracy or greater.
Managers have two reasons for using the combustion test instead of an overall efficiency test.
First, it is practically impossible to measure all necessary parameters accurately, including the
energy content of the fuel. More importantly, boiler losses excluded from the combustion
efficiency calculation remain relatively constant. While technicians need to check them
periodically, they do not require ongoing monitoring.
Combustion-efficiency testing is one of the most accurate means of adjusting a boiler and its
auxiliary equipment for both safe and efficient operation. To do so, technicians can install a
portable unit temporarily on a boiler for testing or permanently for ongoing monitoring.
Technicians most often use oxygen sensors to test a boiler's combustion efficiency. The
equipment uses an electronic sensor in the boiler's flue that measures oxygen in the flue gas.
Changes in combustion efficiency, such as those caused by varying levels of excess air, show
up as varying levels of oxygen in the flue gas.
For small boilers, technicians most often use a portable combustion-efficiency tester setup at
the beginning of every heating season. By adjusting the boiler each year, managers can
achieve higher levels of operating efficiency in multiple small boilers without making a
significant investment in equipment.
Medium-sized boilers can use the same setup, but technicians can achieve greater efficiency
by testing the boiler at least monthly during the heating season. For larger boilers, it is most
effective to permanently install the equipment and connect it to the boiler's control system. In
this configuration, technicians can use the equipment to adjust the boiler under all heating
loads to achieve the most efficient operation.

Pumps
Managers often overlook pumps when looking for ways to improve HVAC system operating
efficiency. As a result, inefficient pump operation can go uncorrected for the life of the
system. And with most HVAC system pumps operating when the system operates,
inefficiency can result in large amounts of lost energy.
Perhaps the most important factor when installing pumps is that specifiers must match them
to the system's requirements. As the flow rate increases or decreases from the design point of
the pump, the efficiency of the pump decreases. So it is important that managers select a
pump based on the system's required flow rate and the pressure exerted on the pumping
system. If the system must operate over a range of flow rates, a variable-speed pump system
provides the best operating efficiency.
Once in operation, technicians should periodically test pumps for proper flow rate and
pressure differential. And they should plot readings against the manufacturer's pump curve to
determine if the pump is operating within its specified range.
James Piper, P.E., is a national consultant based in Bowie, Md., with more than 25 years of
experience in facilities maintenance and engineering issues.

Variable-Speed Drives, Constant Savings

Centrifugal chillers are very efficient devices for generating chilled water. New-generation
chillers offer operating efficiencies approximately 0.50 kW/ton of cooling at rated load. One
ongoing problem with the operation of these chillers, however, is a significant drop-off in
operating efficiency as the load on the chiller decreases.
For example, that same high-efficiency chiller might have an operating efficiency of only
0.75 kW/ton at 50 percent loading. Further decreases in the cooling load result in even further
decreases in operating efficiency. With most centrifugal chillers operating below peak load 95
percent of the time, part-load operating efficiencies become an important factor.
Using a variable-speed drive (VSD) can effectively improve the part-load operating efficiency
 of a centrifugal chiller. VSDs regulate the speed of the chiller by varying the voltage and
frequency of the power to the chiller's drive motor.
As the chiller's cooling load decreases, the VSD slows the drive motor. This reduction in
speed decreases the chiller's capacity, and it decreases the power drawn by the chiller's drive.
The result is that the unit's efficiency decreases only slightly as the load decreases.
Monitoring the efficiency of a chiller with a VSD provides the same benefits to managers as
monitoring one without a VSD. They can establish baseline performance, and they can
develop trends in performance by comparing measured energy efficiencies with the baseline
values.
They also can develop intervals for maintenance tasks based on needs using compiled data,
rather than standard intervals. Ongoing monitoring will help keep the system at its peak
operating efficiency at all cooling loads.
- James Piper

opppp!!!! it is FEET OF WATER per 100ft of PIPING

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