The water cooled chiller, like any refrigeration machine, has a condenser in its refrigeration circuit. So that the gaseous refrigerant after the compressor goes into a liquid state for supply to subsequent throttling.
Depending on the design and manufacturer, the chiller is equipped with condensers of various cooling principles. Most often, chiller buyers opt for a design with an air-cooled condenser, since there are at least two reasons for this choice. They are a simpler design and a lower cost than such a chiller. However, there are some factors that can influence the choice of a water-cooled chiller.
Maximum Condensing Temperature
The maximum condensing temperature when designing a standard chiller is 50 ° C. If the condenser is air-cooled, this corresponds to an air temperature of 35 ° C. If the chiller is on the sunny side, then the temperature “35 ° C” is calculated from the following calculation. At least 10 ° C from solar radiation and 25 ° C directly from the air temperature.
At air temperatures above 25 ° C, the air-cooled condenser may not fully condense the refrigerant. In this case, the choice of a chiller with a water-cooled condenser is the only correct one. Such chillers operate stably at air temperatures up to + 45 ° C. The sun’s rays do not affect its location in any way.
Heating in Winter
In many cases, chillers are used for heating in winter. If an air-cooled chiller is used, it can be installed in a warm room. The hydraulic circuit can be filled with water, but the heat exchanger will have to be blown with air using centrifugal fans. The air itself must be supplied and removed through the air ducts. Such constructive solutions make the equipment more complex and lead to its significant rise in cost.
