CHILLERS
The rise of the chiller
Paul Lawrence, managing director of Aermec UK explains how efficiency, innovation and refrigerants will change the chiller landscape
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hiller designs like other HVAC products are being shaped by market demands for improved energy efficiencies, redundancy and flexibility. But legislation and the development of new refrigerants are exerting an ever-increasing influence. Over the next few years the chiller market is set to evolve at a rapid pace. Environmental features will become the norm and customers will increasingly look for added value, expecting greater efficiencies, cost savings and flexibility.
One of the biggest influencers that has already impacted the chiller industry was the introduction in January of EU Directive 2016/2281, more commonly known as Lot 21. This legislation means that any new cooling equipment now has to meet new Minimum Energy Performance Standards (MEPS).
MEPS are split into two categories, one for process chillers the other for comfort chillers. The average chiller has a life span of around 15 years (or longer, depending on the maintenance schedule), which means there are potentially many chillers in the market that do not meet the new standards. This is encouraging customers to review their assets and look at the total cost of ownership (TCO) and assess whether now is the time to invest in new and more energy efficient kit.
Process chillers must meet new Seasonal Energy Performance Ratio (SEPR) metrics whilst comfort chillers must meet Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio (SEER) metrics. The metrics for both categories will be determined by the type of chiller and whether it is air cooled or water cooled. Whilst the new regulations may sound daunting, manufacturers prepared for the legislation sometime ago, with Turbocor leading the vanguard. The market is now seeing the introduction of other technologies. The dominance of scroll compressors is being challenged by more efficient variable screw compressors and modular solutions, as well as products that use less refrigerant.
Modularity
Modular air handlers have been a feature for some time, but modern building design, limited space and restricted access have helped shape the design of modular chillers that are smaller, more flexible and offer a smarter way of cooling.
20 August 2018
These chillers can also be stackable too and really maximise floorspace which is at a premium. These models weigh less than traditional chillers, offer smaller footprints and enable cooling capacities to be increased to suit changing requirements by simply adding extra modules. Accessibility characterises the designs so that maintenance is far easier and refrigerant components can easily be reached. More importantly, they offer greater resilience and redundancy as service and maintenance can be carried out on a module without it impacting other units, which helps to drive down maintenance costs. A standby module acts as a replacement for critical spares and can be used as a spare chiller, increasing redundancy.
Data centre cooling
The growth in data centres has led to the rapid expansion of cloud computing and increasing data centre virtualisation. The growth in data centre traffic is expected to grow by with a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of approximately 11% until 2021. As a result, the cooling demands are set to grow exponentially, so it is of paramount importance for data centre operators to achieve the highest efficiencies, cost savings and greater carbon reductions. So, it comes as no surprise that operators find free cooling alternatives highly attractive.
The American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) initially recommended a temperature range of 68°F to77°F (20-25°C) for data centres when the primary focus was maintaining precision controlled environmental conditions to minimise the risks of IT hardware malfunction. This was at a time when energy efficiency was low on the agenda. But much has changed and it subsequently favoured Expanded Allowable Temperature ranges designated A1-A4 which encourages the use of non- mechanical compressor-less cooling (free cooling). The wider range of temperatures offers more opportunity for designing more efficient cooling solutions. The next generation of data centre cooling technologies are likely to use higher temperature cooling to further maximise a data centre’s overall efficiency and lower Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE).
Compressor manufacturers are working hard to keep pace
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