What is an Industrial Water Chiller and why you need it?

An industrial water chiller is essential for any facility using large machinery that generates significant heat. These chillers help maintain a low temperature within your facility and cool down internal machine equipment. By understanding how these chillers work, you can make informed decisions about your cooling needs. Let's dive into the details of industrial water chillers.

What is a Chiller?

Chillers are widely used in both commercial and industrial settings. Essentially, a chiller is a refrigeration system designed to cool liquids or mechanical equipment. The primary function of a chiller is to remove unwanted heat while maintaining stable temperature, pressure, and current in the machinery or production process. This is done by circulating a heat-absorbing process through the refrigeration cycle within the chiller.

Industrial chillers are used to control the cooling—either directly or indirectly—of products, mechanisms, and machinery in various industries. Despite the different types of industrial chillers, they all use air or water as a cooling method during the refrigeration cycle.  

For instance, an air-cooled chiller cools the system with fans, while a water-cooled chiller uses circulated water from a cooling tower. These systems can cool water to below ambient temperature or even below freezing. Water chiller capacities are typically measured in cooling tons, KCAL/hr, or BTU/hr. For instance, Creworks' 6-ton water chiller can achieve cooling capacities of up to 61,200 BTUs per hour.

Why Do You Need a Chiller System?

Industrial operations generate heat through friction and high-powered equipment like furnaces or engines, or through temperature-sensitive materials such as plastics. To prolong the lifespan of heavy-duty equipment and speed up production via shorter cycle times, chiller units are installed to circulate cooled liquid through the equipment.

Selecting the right chiller for your application can help you save costs, reduce downtime, and increase production capacity and operational efficiency. The two main types of industrial chillers used today are air-cooled and water-cooled chillers, which we will discuss further.

Types of Industrial Chillers: Air-Cooled vs. Water-Cooled

There are two types of condensers used in chillers: water-cooled and air-cooled. In a refrigerant cycle, the hot refrigerant gas from the compressor needs to be cooled in the condenser. It then enters the expansion valve into the evaporator to generate chilled water and achieve the desired cooling cycle.

Air-Cooled Chillers

Air-cooled chillers have condensers that use ambient air to cool the hot refrigerant gas. These chillers are usually installed in areas with good airflow, as they rely on fans instead of cooling towers to dissipate heat. An air-cooled chiller absorbs heat from processed water and transfers this heat into the air.

Water-Cooled Chillers

Water-cooled chillers have condensers that use water from a cooling tower to cool the refrigerant gas. Once the refrigerant is cooled and released via an expansion valve, it cools the circulating water in the chiller to reach the target temperature. The processed water acts as a medium for heat transfer.

Air or Water Chillers: Which One Suits Your Needs?

Both air-cooled and water-cooled chillers are designed to facilitate the discharge of heat from the production process. They produce the same cooling capacity under the same compressor power. Therefore, your decision should be based on your working environment and the purpose of use.

Creworks, a top manufacturer with over 40 years of experience in the chiller business, is globally recognized in the market.  To learn more about our reliable and customizable chillers for various sectors, explore our Chiller & Cooling Water Series.

How Do Industrial Water Chillers Work?

Nearly every industrial process generates heat. If this unwanted heat accumulates, it can reduce the productivity of your machinery and factory. Excessive heat could even lead to shutdowns or early equipment failure. Incorporating a cooling process into your industrial system design can help avoid these issues.

Components of a Chiller

The essential components of a chiller include a compressor, condenser, expansion valve, and evaporator. These components work together to circulate a refrigerant that removes heat from a process, operation, or space.

Compressor

The compressor is the major component of a refrigeration unit. It circulates the refrigerant (freon gas) and converts it from low-pressure to high-pressure before it travels to the condenser to discharge its heat.

Condenser

The condenser cools the gas by transferring heat from the refrigerant to the outdoor cooling medium (air or water). It also condenses the refrigerant, converting it from a gas to a liquid.

Expansion Valve

The liquid refrigerant passes through the expansion valve before entering the evaporator for heat exchange. The expansion valve lowers the high pressure and temperature of the refrigerant liquid, converting it into a low-pressure, low-temperature wet vapor, which is then sent to the evaporator.

Evaporator

The evaporator is where the actual heat exchange happens. The processed water from the expansion valve enters the evaporator to start the cooling process.

Which Industries Need a Water Chiller?

Water chillers are used in various industries, including:

• Plastic manufacturing and processing
• Metal forming
• Food and beverage processing
• Machinery
• Chemical and pharmaceutical
• Medical (MRI, CT scanner, x-ray, linear accelerator, laboratory)
• Shoe industry
• Laser cutting
• Transportation manufacturing
• Semiconductor
• Composite manufacturing

Things to Consider Before Selecting a Water Chiller System

Using a water chiller in a factory has numerous benefits. However, these benefits can only be realized if you have the right chiller installed. Consider the following questions before purchasing a water chiller system:

• What's the heat load of your intended application?
• What coolant type, target temperature, and flow rate does the chiller system provide?
• In what environment will the water chiller be installed, and what are the site conditions?
• Does this water chiller model meet or exceed the required capacity? (check the chiller performance curves)

Save Time with Creworks' industrial & commercial water chiller

In addition to expert advice, a top-tier manufacturer creates water chiller models that effectively maintain component temperatures during operations, thereby optimizing production efficiency. Here are several advantages of selecting Creworks' 5 ton industrial chiller:

• High Cooling Capacity: CREWORKS' CWTH-5 water chiller offers powerful cooling, handling up to 51182 BTUs per hour, ensuring effective temperature control for industrial processes.
• Efficient Water Usage: With a spacious 16-gallon (60 L) water tank and a circulation rate of 29 gpm (110 liters per minute), it maximizes cooling efficiency while conserving water.
• User-Friendly Design: Features like an observation window for water level monitoring, corrosion-resistant brass water inlet and outlet ports, and real-time temperature sensors with a digital display ensure easy operation and maintenance.
• Reliable Performance: Equipped with a 7.5 hp compressor using R407C refrigerant, it maintains a stable water-cooling system within 3℃ of a constant temperature, supported by indicator lights and alarms for quick troubleshooting.

Creworks offers a versatile line of best industrial water/air chillers for a wide range of applications. With an immediate reduction in water use and a consistent cooling water temperature, our chiller models offer a significant improvement to the process and a quick return on investment. Contact Us Today for more information or assistance with a quote!