Process Chillers - Process Chiller Basics

Water chillers are used in just about every industry where a component, be it machinery or product, needs to be cooled. Sometimes, however, simple water chillers are not strong enough, and a process chiller may be used. Process chillers differ from standard HVAC chillers in that they use refrigerant coolants like ammonia and halocarbons, and can provide a higher level of cooling capabilities than standard chillers. In this article, we'll take a look at some of the basic information regarding process chillers and how they are used in today's industries.

Process chillers are generally made up of four parts - compressors, evaporators, condensers, and metering devices. The refrigerant is sent to a heat source by a compressor, where it absorbs the heat because of its chemical properties. It then carries this heat to an evaporator, where it undergoes a phase change - it is converted into gas form and thus disperses the heat into the atmosphere, sometimes through a cooling tower to provide extra heat absorption. The condenser then turns the coolant back into a liquid form and sends it back to the compressor, where it is pushed through the cycle again. Metering devices provide a way to regulate the amount of flow and heat being absorbed.

Process chillers are used in a number of industrial applications, such as in the plastics industry, where they are used to reduce cycle times in injection molding by regulating the temperatures there. They are used in baking and other foods, because cooler water allows dough to be mixed for longer periods and thus increases the quality of the product, and can cool various food producing processes such as the creation of chocolate, meat massaging, and vegetable processing. It is used in pharmaceuticals, where emollient vats produce large amounts of heat and frequently disperse it through a process chiller. They are even used in printing applications, to regulate temperatures in rollers and presses to reduce stretching and bleeding.

A process chiller can provide a large amount of cooling to virtually any facility, with the ability to chill up to forty tons of water or other refrigerant at a time. There are various types of process chillers available, with different types of compressors and coolant systems, each with their own strengths and weaknesses. The important thing is to know how much water you need cooled and at what rate, so that you can properly assess the type of cooling you will need.

Process chillers, chiller, & chiller and compressors.