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10 TRG-TRC016-EN
notes
period one
Types of Water Chillers
Another advantage of an air-cooled chiller is its delivery as a “packaged
system.” Reduced design time, simplified installation, higher reliability, and
single-source responsibility are all factors that make the factory packaging of
the condenser, compressor, and evaporator a major benefit. A water-cooled
chiller has the additional requirements of condenser-water piping, pump,
cooling tower, and associated controls.
Water-cooled chillers typically last longer than air-cooled chillers. This
difference is due to the fact that the air-cooled chiller is installed outdoors,
whereas the water-cooled chiller is installed indoors. Also, using water as the
condensing fluid allows the water-cooled chiller to operate at lower pressures
than the air-cooled chiller. In general, air-cooled chillers last 15 to 20 years, while
water-cooled chillers last 20 to 30 years.
To summarize the comparison of air-cooled and water-cooled chillers, air-cooled
chiller advantages include lower maintenance costs, a prepackaged system for
easier design and installation, and better low-ambient operation. Water-cooled
chiller advantages include greater energy efficiency (at least at design
conditions) and longer equipment life.
water-cooled
▲ Greater energy efficiency
▲ Longer equipment life
air-cooled or water-cooled
Comparison
air-cooled
▲ Lower maintenance
▲ Packaged system
▲ Better low-ambient
operation
Figure 13