What Is a Screw Chiller Plant Design, and How Does It Work? Industrial chillers can vary in terms of their design, working principles, and components. Screw chillers, for example, are vapor compressor systems that offer high energy efficiency, minimal noise, and portability. How do screw chillers work? Generally, industrial chillers operate on the following working principles:
Phase change Coolant is in a gaseous form when it is subject to high temperatures. To return it to its liquid state, the solution must be supercooled. This loop is the foundation of industrial chilling systems.
Heat flow Heat energy flows from an area of high concentration to a low concentration. Therefore, it never stays in one place inside a chiller.
Pressure In addition to temperature, the refrigerant must be subject to alternating pressures to obtain the optimal state. For example, reducing the pressure over a liquid decreases its boiling point and vice versa.
More specifically, screw-type chillers are driven by vapor compression. This means that they remove heat and circulate coolant through various components, including:
Condenser A chilling system’s condenser unit eliminates heat from a coolant. Depending on the type of chiller, the condenser can use one of two cooling methods. For instance, in a water-cooled chiller, water is circulated between a cooling tower and the condenser.
Compressor As the driving unit of chilling systems, compressors are responsible for generating a pressure gradient for coolant to move around. This pressure gradient allows liquids to increase or decrease their boiling point.
Evaporator and thermal expansion valve