Chiller Plant and its Maintenance

1. Chiller Plant and its Maintenance You get the ease of cooling in your air-conditioned office cabin, car or house. Besides this, heating ventilation systems regulate the comfort levels of many indoor environments. A chiller plant is a centralized arrangement that cools the atmosphere for a building or a collection of buildings and supplies the air-conditioning portion of HVAC systems. It has been evident after a research that over 35 percent of buildings larger than 100,000 square feet surround chiller plants. On one hand such plants have enormous capacity to cool down the atmosphere of a very large area. On the hand, many precautions have to be taken for their maintenance, so that the maximum output can be pulled out from their functioning. Several variables affect chiller efficiency. Following are a few suggestions that can help keep it riding elevated. Keep a daily log The daily log is still the first footstep in maintaining an efficiently run chiller plant. A log builds a narration of operating conditions, including temperature, pressure, fluid level and flow rate. While microprocessor controls are recording more of these statistics, there is no replacement for a written log detailing findings from daily scrutiny of controls in the chiller room. Keep tubes hygienic Heat transfer has the maximum single effect on chiller act. Large chillers can have extra five miles of condenser and evaporator tubes, so high heat transfer is essential to maintaining efficiency.

2. Chiller efficiency declines quickly when tubes become fouled. Contaminants, like minerals, scale, mud, algae and other impurities, augment thermal resistance and reduce overall performance. Condenser tubes should be brushed cleaned, rather than chemically cleaned, in any case annually with an automatic rotary-cleaning machine to carry on them free of contaminants. Take care of condenser water Condenser water loops using open cooling sources, like atmospheric cooling towers, require water treatment to put off fouling. Erosive conditions, for example, sand flowing through the tubes at high velocity, may hollow tubes, decreasing tube effectiveness. Untreated water can harm tubes, piping and other materials. Trim down entering water temperature Lowering the temperature of the water entering the condenser can pick up the chiller's efficiency. On some building systems, operators can diminish the chilled water set point to trounce air handler deficiencies like dirty coils. Be cautious of this practice, which may stop the symptoms but would not heal the problem. It makes the chiller toil harder for the same net cooling effect. Control water pace Flow rate must be synchronized closely, because too low a flow rate reduces chiller competence, leading to laminar flow. The least flow rate is characteristically around 3 ft. per second. Nevertheless, too high a flow rate leads to vibration, noise and tube erosion. The greatest recommended flow rate is typically approximately 12 ft. per second. Preserve refrigerant charge The amount of cooling that any chiller can supply depends on how much refrigerant it moves during the compressor per unit time. It is important to continue the proper level of refrigerant. Evaluate compressor oil Once a year, do not forget to dispatch a sample of the compressor lube oil to a certified laboratory for a spectrometric chemical analysis that will provide details about moisture content, metals, acids along with other contaminants that affect performance. Oil should be changed only if necessary. Reference http://goo.gl/PSgTK0