What Is Chilled Water Air Conditioning?
You’ll normally find chilled water air conditioning systems in large buildings that need a large cooling capacity. This includes commercial buildings, institutional facilities, industrial settings, public spaces, large residential complexes, and more.
Chilled water air conditioners are cost-effective and use less refrigerant for the refrigeration cycle than traditional HVAC units. Because of the savings and risk reduction, homeowners now install these systems into their own homes more frequently.
To learn more about water-cooled chillers and how they may benefit your home, keep reading.
How Chilled Water Air Conditioning Works
A chilled water air conditioning unit has a few major components, including the chiller, cooling tower, air handling units or fan coil units, pumps, and a pipe network.
The chiller system cools water, which is then pumped through a network of pipes to air handling units. Air handlers, or blowers, blow air over condenser coils containing the cold water, and the cooled air then moves throughout the building. Warm air then returns to the chiller to be cooled again, starting the process over.
In most chiller applications, a water-cooled condenser uses a cooling tower to reduce the temperature of the condenser. In this case, the water loop system is separated from the chilled water that goes to the building. Water from the cooling tower enters the condenser at 85°F. It picks up the heat from the condenser and leaves at 95°F, an increase of 10°F.
The water is then sent to the cooling tower by a pump to be cooled by evaporation of the water in the cooling tower. The cooled water temperature now drops to 85°F and enters the condenser again. Water piping brings water to add to the cooling towers. This is to replace water that has evaporated into the air.
The chiller cools water to around 40 to 45°F. It uses a refrigeration cycle like a traditional HVAC system but is a water-cooled chiller rather than an air-cooled chiller. This means that the chiller cools water instead of the air directly.
Chilled water is pumped through a network of pipes in the building to air handling units (AHUs), where the chilled water is stored in coils. Heat transfer occurs when warm air from the room blows over the cold coils in the AHUs.
The air is cooled as it passes over the coils with their cold water supply, and the water in the coils warms up slightly. Cold air is distributed through ducts, and the heated water returns to the chiller to be cooled again.
You can control the temperature using thermostat set points.
Why Choose This Cooling System?
As its name suggests, this is a partially water-cooled AC system that makes use of water as its secondary refrigerant. A chiller is used to remove heat from the water, which is then circulated through other parts to absorb heat from the space.
Water is non-corrosive, non-toxic, and is cheap. This makes it an excellent choice compared to other secondary refrigerants such as sodium chloride brines, propylene glycols, ethylene, methanol, or glycerin.
Final Thoughts: Chilled Water Air Conditioning
Chilled water air conditioners are cost-effective and energy-efficient systems that can cool or heat your building. They use less refrigerant than traditional HVAC systems do, making these units enticing for residential homeowners.
FAQs About Chilled Water Air Conditioning
What is a chilled water air conditioning system?
A chilled water air conditioning system is a hydronic cooling system. It’s a type of central air conditioning that’s best for large buildings that use water to transfer heat from indoor spaces to outside.
The main components in a chilled water system are a chiller unit, cooling tower, pumps, piping network, and air handling units or fan coil units. The chiller cools water, which is then pumped through a network of pipes to air handling units. Air handlers, or blowers, blow air over condenser coils containing the cold water, and the cooled air moves throughout the building. Warm air then returns to the chiller to be cooled again, starting the process over.
Do chilled water air handlers use refrigerant?
Chilled water air conditioners use refrigerant, but not in the air handlers. The air handlers use water as their chilling medium. However, the chiller uses refrigerant to cool the water that’s then circulated to the air handlers. The refrigerant circuit is contained to the chiller in these systems.
What are the advantages of using a chilled water air conditioning system over traditional AC units?
Chilled water air conditioning systems have many advantages over regular AC units, especially for bigger buildings. They use less energy and are more efficient. Centralized equipment simplifies maintenance and reduces noises in occupied spaces. These systems are flexible and easy to modify.
These systems also allow for more precise temperature control in different areas, and can even heat and cool at the same time. They use less refrigerant, last longer, use less energy, and have a better indoor air quality than traditional HVAC systems.
It’s becoming more common to see these systems used in residential settings, as well as the business settings they’ve previously been used in.
