The air cooled chillers have more advantages as compared to the water-cooled models. When the air chilling machines are designed various factors such as air circulation, flow restriction and recirculation are considered.
In general, there are two types of chillers-water-cooled and air cooled chillers. Of these, the better ones are the air-cooled systems. There is no doubt of the effective performance of the water chilling equipments, however, by the time the water cooling tower fans and the condenser pumps are counted, the difference in performance is not much of a thing that some assume it to be. As a matter of fact, there is no difference at all at part load conditions. The best thing about making use of the air cooling equipment is that there is no need for condenser water pumps and cooling towers in its working. For this reason, these are commonly used in the smaller to medium projects, which is now extending to use in even large plants. Another advantage of such chilling models is that they do not need a mechanical room for the chiller, thereby making a significant space for the use of the occupant.
As is the case with other products, the air operating systems too have special demands which are relevant for their design. The first thing that matters is the air circulation. It is true that such systems produce a lot of heat. So it is necessary that the air cooling machines use an effective heat transfer process that ensures that the refrigerant condensing temperature is grater than the ambient temperature. While buying air cooled chillers, take care that sufficient air circulation is available as it is crucial to its functioning performance.
Next factor that affects the design of these chilling equipments is the flow restriction. If the location of the chiller restricts the flow, then the air available to cool the chiller is inadequate. As a result of this, there is a rise in the temperature. Last and the most critical concern is the recirculation. The water cooled chillers that are enclosed by the walls that are elevated than the top of the system may face the recirculation issues. The problems are also suffered by the users in case there are several systems too close together. When because of the design of the structure, the chiller is to be fitted at a not-so-appropriate place, and then you must not think that there is enough design scope to offer reliable operation. The operating conditions of the units can overcome the design limitations by a large scope if the amount of air restricted is as lower as possible.
