HVAC chiller product design is reaching new federal mandates for energy efficiency. These regulations have changed the way manufacturers service their products as well as their design.New Technology, New Chillers
York’s YMC2 Centrifugal Magnetic Drive Chiller
Water chillers are the strength behind HVAC cooling systems. Chilled water is distributed to coils in air conditioning systems. Then, the water is re-circulated back to the chiller where it is cooled again.
The cooling coils transfer heat to the chilled water from the air, which cools and typically dehumidifies the air stream. New designs have brought about more efficient models that have more precise load or capacity control. Trane now supplies a line of chiller products including air-cooled, water-cooled and compressor chillers. These include the Trane SintesisTM air-cooled chiller and the Trane StealthTM air-cooled helical rotary chillers.
As a part of the Ingersoll Rand EcoWiseTM portfolio of products, Sintesis chillers are an example of this innovation. They leverage largely efficient system operation and low global warming potential (GWP) to use a smaller amount of energy in order to keep your building cool and keep greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions minimal. The Sintesis chillers use changeable speed technology on condenser fans, full and part-time units, and the compressor—all within a compact size that takes up very little space.
The ClimaCool Corp also supplies air and water-cooled modular chillers. These can withstand cooling, heat recovery, and even cooling and heating at the same time for simultaneous cooling and heating applications.
These products allow for a significant amount of energy savings in part by using heat exchangers that are more efficient as well as other compressor technology advancements. Some companies, like Johnson Controls Inc., have more than just smaller scale chillers and even have 6,000-ton water-cooled centrifugal chillers.
Trailblazer® Air Cooled Scroll Chiller
The new-generation Pathfinder® and Trailblazer® air-cooled chillers from Daikin Applied are the solution for school administrators, facility managers, business owners and industrial operations managers in search of quiet operation and low maintenance. For any small inside area with a limited water supply, these chillers are the perfect solution.
Energy Efficiency
Energy efficiency is demanded in today’s market, and the chiller design is responding to this plea accordingly. Improved heat exchanger and compressor technology, magnetic bearings and permanent magnet motors all aid in reducing energy consumption.
The Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) states that packaged heat pumps and air conditioners serve over 60% of the commercial building floor space across the country, adding to roughly 230 trillion Btu of energy consumption per year. Once you take into consideration just how energy efficient the new HVAC chillers are, it can really add up and successfully reduce carbon emissions and energy use.
Chillers of the Future
As the industry turns to the future, air-cooled packaged equipment will become more sophisticated, the demand for products that pull double duty when it comes to heating and cooling will keep growing, and building loads will drop.
