Types of Chillers

Chiller units are refrigerant systems that aid in cooling residential/commercial spaces, machines, industrial operations, and industrial chemicals. These units are energy efficient, cost-efficient, and time-efficient. Without these systems, production objectives often cannot be achieved. 

Types of Chillers

The types of chillers are divided into two main categories vapor compression and vapor absorption chillers. vapor compression chillers use an electrically driven mechanical compressor to force a refrigerant around the system while vapor absorption chillers use heat to move the refrigerant around the system.

Vapor compression chillers are the most commonly used and fit into two subcategories: air chillers and water chillers. Let’s take a quick look at how each of these work, their applications, and the pros and cons of each.

 Air Cooled Scroll Chiller

How Do Air Cooled and Water Chillers Work?

Both air and water chillers have the same components: an evaporator, a compressor, a condenser and an expansion valve. Furthermore, the mechanics for both are very similar. The chillers compressors push a refrigerant around the inside of the chiller through the condenser, the expansion valve, the evaporator, and back to the compressor.

The primary difference between air and water chillers is how the unwanted heat is ejected. Air chillers us air to remove heat while water chillers use, you guessed it, water.

Air Chillers

Air cooled chillers use air to remove heat by using fans to force air across the exposed tubes of the condenser. While air chillers require more energy than water-cooled chillers, they can be a great option when it comes to stationary cooling. Air chillers are easy to instal and typically can be installed outside a building (no extra space requirements). Compared to water chillers, air chillers are more prone to blockages and recirculation issues.

Box Type Water Cooled Scroll Chiller

Water Chillers

Water chillers remove heat by pumping water through a sealed condenser and dispersing it through the cooling tower. Water-cooled chillers are typically more efficient than air-cooled chillers.  Using water evaporation to dissipate heat uses significantly less energy than blowing air across a hot surface. This is thanks to water’s high heat capacity. Additionally, water chillers tend to last longer than air-cooled chillers.

Types of Compressor Technology

Air-Cooling and Water-cooling chillers are further categorized by the type of compressor technology used.

Water Cooled Chiller

The series water chiller adopts efficient semi-closed screw compressor. the compressor adopts a 5:6 asymmetric high-efficiency screw rotor, which is graded or steplessly energy regulated. It is automatically adjusted according to load changes and is more energy efficient.

Flooded Type Screw Type Chiller

The series screw chiller adopts efficient semi-closed screw compressor. the compressor adopts a 5:6 asymmetric high-efficiency screw rotor, which is graded or steplessly energy regulated. It is automatically adjusted according to load changes and is more energy efficient.

Air Cooled Chiller

The series air cooled screw type chiller cooling capacity from 85KW to 1550KW. This series units integrates the characteristics of many other products, using imported semi-closed screw compressors,supplemented by high-efficiency heat exchangers and adopts microcomputer controllers, which makes the unit compact, reasonable layout, convenient to use and maintain.

Chiller systems are critical for temperature control and cooling across multiple industries. Choosing the right type of industrial chiller for process and space cooling can reduce cooling costs, minimize downtime and increase operational efficiency.

The chiller supplier will describe the different types of chillers used for commercial and industrial applications, as well as the advantages and disadvantages of each chiller. The goal is to help you make an informed purchasing decision.

Water Cooled Chiller

Advantages of Water-cooled chillers

The most common chillers use water in an external tower to cool the gaseous refrigerant in the condenser. After heat is discharged, the refrigerant undergoes a phase change into a liquid and is recirculated back into the system. Check out our page for the best water chiller brands.

Water-cooled chillers are typically more efficient than air-cooled chillers

They operate more quietly than air-cooled systems

They are suitable for small and commercial scale cooling

Portable solutions can be used in space-constrained facilities

Air Cooled Chiller

Advantages of Air-Cooled Chillers

Air-cooled chillers use ambient air to remove heat from the refrigerant in the condenser prior to condensing and recirculating. In addition, a fan mounted on the unit helps to speed up the cooling process. Air-cooled chillers are suitable for applications where discharging heat is not a problem, as they tend to generate a lot of heat in the field.

Portable solution for space-constrained facilities

Air-cooled chillers can be used for small and commercial scale cooling, depending on size and chiller capacity

They are less costly to install and maintain than water-cooled systems

The heat discharged from the chiller can be used to heat the facility during cold periods, providing additional cost and power savings

Air-Cooled vs. Water-Cooled Chillers

While the components of air-cooled and water-cooled chillers are largely the same (condenser, expansion valve, evaporator and compressor), the main difference is in the way the refrigerant is cooled.

In an air-cooled chiller, the hot refrigerant entering the condenser is exposed to the atmosphere and the air releases heat before condensing back into the liquid state. In a water-cooled chiller, on the other hand, the hot refrigerant gas is delivered to a water-cooled heat exchanger or condenser and water from a cooling tower is used to cool the refrigerant. To better understand, learn how cooling towers and chillers work together.

Jiangsu Huazhao Refrigeration Equipment CO., Ltd. is a manufacturing enterprise focus on high quality industrial refrigeration equipment research and development, production and sales. Our company various industrial chiller with competitive price include: Air cooled chiller; Water cooled chiller; Low temperature glycol/brine water cooled chiller; Heat pump hot water chiller; Maglev inverter centrifugal water chiller; Oxidation dedicated water cooled chiller. To discuss in detail whether an air-cooled chiller or a water-cooled chiller is right for you, please contact us.