COOLERS AND CONDENSERS
r epresent a real credible, efficient and ultimately safe alternative to cooling towers and a strong case to put to industrial end-user customers.
Harnessing ‘free’ energy
Another solution for business development with industrial end users is free cooling. It may b e familiar for those of us within the business, h owever it’s frequently not the case for the m anufacturer or end-user.
T here are two methods, integrated or independent free cooling. The principles of operation are the same but an integrated system is restricted by the size of its footprint, while an independent system can be designed to fit the available space and therefore maximise the e nergy efficiency. It means there’s substantial flexibility in meeting the needs of different types of businesses.
Free cooling makes use of the UK’s typically low temperatures and can be used during any p eriod of time the ambient air temperature is o ne degree or more below the process return t emperature. The cooler the air temperature, the less mechanical cooling needed, and therefore the g reater potential for free cooling.
It can enable manufacturers to save as much as
7 0% on their energy usage when compared with using a mechanical system. With these potential savings, it is likely to prove to be a very attractive solution to many industrial end-users.
A n independent free cooling system is by far and away the most effective method of achieving f ree cooling. This is where a free cooling unit r uns alongside a chiller, which can be used to provide mechanical cooling as and when required. One of the main benefits, and central to the potential energy savings, is the fact that a smaller c hiller can be used, due to the lower demand for mechanical cooling.
T his not only reduces the initial procurement c osts, but also the maintenance and operational costs throughout the chiller’s life cycle. Ultimately, using a free cooling system in parallel with a chiller will reduce the operating h ours of the compressor as the chiller is under l ess pressure. Running in unison, the free cooling s ystem can run automatically when required, switching off the chiller’s compressors when the external temperatures reach 5°C below the set point, and saving energy at full and partial loads without compromising cooling requirements. A s the free cooler and the chiller are sharing the load, the life expectancy of the chiller is
extended too. For a straightforward efficiency boost, acr installers can provide better p erformance by recommending the use of A -rated chillers, or chillers fitted with inverter d riven scroll or screw compressors. Again, given the energy-intensive nature of the UK’s process industry, any small tweaks in efficiency will be m agnified over the system’s operational life. Here, encouraging the end-user to think about the overall process will really pay dividends.
Final thoughts
Given the high demands for cost-effective temperature control from British industry, acr contractors have a fantastic commercial opportunity by introducing the latest cooling and c ondensing equipment to their customers. There are also rapid paybacks so with the potential savings, the initial procurement costs for any new cooling equipment could quickly be recovered by the reduction in energy bills.
U ltimately, if industrial end-users can be encouraged to view their temperature control e quipment in the context of their wider process and manufacturing costs, there are serious financial savings to be made following the initial i nvestment – and that’s good news for all of us.
Daikin Applied
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