How To Choose The Best Chiller For Your Application?

Heat is a common byproduct of today's manufacturing machines, which include advanced automation technologies required for high-speed operation and high precision. Components such as spindle motors, variable frequency drives, lasers and X-ray sources all require cooling to operate properly and reliably - often in very harsh manufacturing environments.

As manufacturing space is at a premium and machine packages become smaller, liquid cooling has become the most efficient and cost-effective way to eliminate process heat. Particularly suited to hot, dirty environments, liquid cooling provides a way to remove heat from the machine and does not return additional heat to the environment.

A quick guide to choosing the right chiller.

Because every industrial environment is different, Branenburg has designed a 6-step guide to help you select the right chiller for your application:.

 Air Cooled Scroll Chiller

Step 1: Determine the thermal load.

It is important to determine the thermal load of your application to ensure that the selected chiller is large enough for the intended application.

There are several ways to determine the heat load (in kW), but understanding the process is critical to calculating an accurate heat load.

Step 2: Determine the coolant type, temperature and flow rate.

When the heat load is known, the next step is to determine the coolant, its target temperature, and the flow rate that the cooler must provide to the process. This depends on the method by which heat is transferred from the process to the coolant and the type of coolant used. For example, water and oil have different characteristics.

Box Type Water Cooled Scroll Chiller

Step 3: Determine the installation environment.

What environment will the chiller be installed in? For example, indoor applications may encounter high temperatures and dirty environments, while outdoor installations may encounter low and high ambient temperatures. This can affect the size of the chiller and require accessories such as air filters, oil pan heaters, etc.

Step 4: Use chiller performance curves.

Now use the available chiller performance curves to select a chiller model that meets or exceeds the required capacity based on the chilled water supply temperature and maximum expected ambient air temperature. The safety margin of the application should be considered in relation to the available frame size to maximize the value of the chiller selection. Find all Brannenberg chiller performance curves on the relevant product pages.

Step 5: Check the pump performance curve.

Ask us about pump performance curves and check them to ensure that the pump is delivering sufficient pressure for the application at the design flow rate. Some liquid cooling systems have smaller coolant flow paths or longer distances and may have higher than average pressure losses.

Step 6: Final selection.

Finally, consider the standard Branenburg chiller selected to meet the remaining application requirements, such as power characteristics, control options, footprint, list of mechanisms, color, etc. Choosing a standard chiller will give you greater reliability, easier service, and universal spare parts and global support.

Ethylene and propylene glycol coolants with appropriate corrosion inhibitors are available in a variety of packages - full strength and premixed. Each chiller model includes the pumps, tanks, refrigeration systems and controls needed for easy installation and reliable, efficient operation.

Our knowledgeable applications staff is ready to discuss applications and ensure the right choice is made. With our many available equipment options, we can easily customize our standard chillers to meet specific application requirements.

Contact us for more information!