As one of the essential power components in modern industry, the chiller has a wide range of applications in factories. This article show the principles of the four major components of the chiller refrigeration system.

1 Consist

• Compressor

The function of a refrigeration compressor is to suck in refrigerant vapor from the evaporator, compress it to condensing pressure, and then discharge it to the condenser. Commonly used compressors include piston type, centrifugal type, screw type, rolling rotor, and slide type. Sealed chillers use piston compressors, while screw chillers use screw compressors.

• Condenser

The function of the condenser is to condense the high-temperature refrigerant vapor from the compressor into liquid. During the condensation process, refrigerant vapor releases heat, so it needs to be cooled with water or air. The evaporator used is manufactured by a specialized enterprise that produces pressure vessels. It is safe, has a pressure vessel certificate, has good sealing, strong heat transfer capacity, and is easy to clean and maintain. The commonly used ones are shell and tube condenser and fin condenser.

• Throttling device

The function of the throttling mechanism is to reduce the pressure of the refrigerant liquid from the condensing pressure to the evaporating pressure when it flows through the throttling mechanism, and part of liquid convert into vapor. The commonly used throttling mechanisms include capillary tubes, manual throttling valves, thermal expansion valves, float regulating valves, etc. Capillary tubes do not have regulating functions, while the other three types of throttling valves can adjust the flow of refrigerant entering the evaporator of the chiller unit to adapt to changes in refrigeration load and achieve the purpose of regulating refrigeration capacity.

• Evaporator

The function of an evaporator is to evaporate refrigerant liquid into vapor, in order to absorb the heat of the cooled object. An evaporator is a device that outputs cooling capacity to the outside world, which can cool liquid refrigerants or directly cool air. It has the options of single circuit, double circuit, and triple circuit, with a heat exchange range of 7112Kcal/h~1330560Kcal/h. It is independently processed and manufactured by the company’s precision CNC, and its technical indicators have reached the international advanced level.

2 Small water cooled chiller

(1) Evaporator: As we all know, evaporation requires the absorption of heat. So, where does the physical process of evaporation in a small chiller absorb heat?, Since it is called a chiller, it naturally absorbs the heat of water. In the specific operation, the evaporator is made by coiling copper pipes in circles and making a standard water tank. This coil is fixed to the water tank, so that the refrigerant R22 in the copper pipes can absorb the heat of hot water. At this point, place a temperature sensing probe in the water tank, which has a temperature display function on the PLC circuit board, to detect the temperature of the water in the tank. And this type of evaporator is generally called a water tank coil evaporator, mainly used for water-cooled box type chillers and air-cooled box type chillers.

(2) Condenser: The function of the condenser is completely opposite to that of the evaporator. It converts the refrigerant R22 back to liquid state and provides liquid R22 for the evaporator. During the operation of the compressor, we all know that there will be issues with high and low pressure. High pressure R22 will evaporate, while low pressure R22 will condense. The condenser is a device whose main purpose is to dissipate the heat absorbed by refrigerant R22. In practical use, there are two methods: one is to use a dedicated fan for the chiller to dissipate heat, and the other is to use a cooling tower for circulating heat dissipation. We call it an air-cooled box type chiller that uses a fan to dissipate heat. The fan is placed near a copper tube and when turned on, it blows towards the copper tube, causing the heat absorbed by R22 in the copper tube to dissipate into the air. The use of a cooling tower for heat dissipation is called a water-cooled chiller, which uses constant water that is not supplied to the shell and tube condenser. This shell and tube condenser is a simple heat exchange device that can run R22 on one side and water on the other, with a junction surface. In this way, the constant water can take away the heat of R22 and achieve the condensation effect of R22.

(3) Compressor: The compressor is the core component of the entire refrigeration system and the source of power for refrigerant compression. Its function is to convert the input electrical energy into mechanical energy and compress the refrigerant.

(4) Expansion valve: The expansion valve is both a flow regulating valve and a throttle valve in the refrigeration system of a chiller. It is installed between the drying filter and the evaporator in the refrigeration equipment, and its temperature sensing package is wrapped around the outlet of the evaporator. Its main function is to reduce the flow and pressure of high-pressure and room temperature refrigerant liquid through the thermal expansion valve, turning it into low-temperature and low-pressure refrigerant wet vapor that enters the evaporator, vaporizes and absorbs heat inside the evaporator, and achieves the purpose of refrigeration and cooling.

3 Application of water cooled chiller

Water cooled chillers can be widely used in many industries, such as industrial, commercial, medical, electronic, food and other fields. Below, we will provide a detailed introduction to some typical application scenarios:

• Industrial sector

Water cooled chillers are widely used in the industrial field, mainly for cooling refrigeration, air conditioning, and other production equipment. For example, in industrial fields such as chemical, steel, machinery, aviation, and automotive, water-cooled chillers can provide stable refrigeration and air conditioning services for factories, as well as cooling for large mechanical equipment.

• Business field

In the commercial field, water-cooled chillers are mainly used for central air conditioning systems in large shopping malls, hotels, office buildings, and other places. Water cooled chillers can provide efficient refrigeration services while reducing the noise and vibration of air conditioning systems.

• Medical field

Water cooled chillers are also widely used in the medical field, mainly for cooling and air conditioning in hospital operating rooms, laboratories, and drug production facilities. In operating rooms and laboratories, water-cooled chillers can provide stable temperature and humidity for medical equipment, ensuring the success of surgeries and experiments. In drug production, water-cooled chillers can ensure the quality and stability of drugs.

• Electronic field

In the field of electronics, water-cooled chillers are mainly used in semiconductor production and other high-tech manufacturing industries. In these fields, efficient refrigeration of equipment is required to ensure production efficiency and quality. Water cooled chillers can provide stable temperature and humidity for these devices, ensuring their normal operation.

In short, water-cooled chillers have a wide range of applications in many industries. By providing a detailed introduction to its advantages and applications, we can better understand the working principle and application scenarios of water-cooled chillers, thereby better serving our production and daily life.