Whether it is heavy duty or simply lite industrial use, there are cooling solutions available to meet a variety of requirements in order to help maintain material and process integrity. Industries such as printing, welding, and chemical processing are all one that can benefit from a process cooling solution, such as a cooling blanket.
One such solution is fluid blanket, which can be used for a variety of different applications. Known as a Fluxwrap, it is able to cool materials inside of totes, drums, tanks, and all other types of vessels. It works even in those environments where a heat exchanger is not present. The full coverage design of the Fluxwrap can apply cooling to many different vessels and comes with an insulated wrap to reduce condensation and to allow for thermal control.
Types of industrial chillers
These are several types of industrial chiller that are currently available on the market. These are:
- Frost chillers – This type of chiller is perfect for manufacturers in light industry that want to experience process cooling for the first time. The entry level chiller is portable so can be used for single application cooling. It is able to consistently produce temperatures between 45 – 85 Fahrenheit.
- Freeze chillers – The Freeze chiller is highly powerful and dependable. It has the capacity to consistently produce temperatures between 40 – 75 Fahrenheit at 1.5 – 2 ton, and between 40 – 65 Fahrenheit at 5 – 10 ton. This chiller is a workhorse that comes equipped with a durable condensing unit and lots of horsepower. The refrigerants used in this chiller are R134A and R404A. The latter is a HFC blend that is commonly used as an alternative to CFC 502. Depending on the exact model, the voltage ranges from 208 – 480 volts.
- Deep Freeze chillers – This chiller works on an industrial scale and has the ability to consistently produce temperatures between -112 – 70 Fahrenheit. All its internal parts come fully insulated in order to ensure that no temperature is lost internally. The Deep Freeze chiller will keep important equipment and materials cold even in the hottest of conditions. The refrigerants used in this chiller are R404A and R508B. These are a HFC blend and commonly used alternatives to CFC 502 and R503 / R13. Depending on the exact model, the voltage ranges from 208 – 480 volts.
- Fluxwrap – Not technically a chiller, but a simple and convenient temperature solution nonetheless. It is able to produce both hot and cold liquid circulations to regulate the temperature of equipment and containers, providing a consistent and controlled temperature at all times. It is able to providing chilling or heating to vessels that previously were either too difficult or not financially feasible to chill.
How do they work?
Industrial chillers can be categories into two main types, depending on how they move the refrigerant around their system. These are vapor absorption, which use heat and vapour compression, which use an electric drive mechanism. Vapour compression is the most common type and are present in both air chillers and water / fluid chillers.
- Air chillers – Work by using air to get rid of the heat. Fans blast cool air across the tubes of the condenser to cool it down. This method is much less energy efficient than the water cooling method. These chillers are ideal for when it comes to static cooling. They are very easy to install and can even be installed on the outside of a building, saving space on the inside. However, they are more likely to experience issues with recirculation and blockages than water chillers.
- Water chillers – Work by removing heat through the pumping of water, or another fluid, through a condenser and dispersing it through a cooling tower. These chillers are more efficient than air cooled chillers. Thanks to water’s high heat capacity, the process of using water evaporation to dissipate heat is far more energy efficient than blowing cool air across a hot surface. Traditionally, these chillers last longer than air chillers as well.
Despite the stated differences, the two types of chillers are actually made up of the same components, which include an expansion valve, an evaporator, a compressor, and a condenser. The mechanics of the two chiller types are also extremely similar.
The compressor starts the refrigeration cycle and begins so by pushing the refrigerant through to the condenser. During this process the low temperature and low pressure refrigerant is compressed and changed into a high temperature and high pressure gas. Whilst in the condenser air or water flows over the coils to remove any heat from the refrigerant. The refrigerant condenses at this point as it loses heat and turns into a liquid form. After leaving the condenser, the refrigerant goes through the expansion valve where it is restricted. Once through the valve, the refrigerant goes into the evaporator where it then begins to evaporate back into a gas state. During this process it gets super cold and absorbs a large amount of heat. This will then enter the compressor and the entire cycle starts over again.
The types of compressors the chiller can utilize are subcategorized as reciprocating chillers, scroll compressor chillers, screw driven chillers, centrifugal chillers.
How to solve industrial cooling issues
Process cooling systems work to effectively and reliably eliminate unwanted heat within a range of industries. Maintaining the required temperature levels to keep operations running smoothly has never been so simple and easy. Click here to learn more about air coolers.
Industrial cooling solutions: A case study
General Eclectic was seeking a solution to an issue with experiencing high external ambient temperatures in one of their plants in Mexico. Due to excessive temperatures of around 125 Fahrenheit, the company were loosing approximately 8 barrels of resin, epoxy and varnish each week at a value of $40,000. The high temperature was causing the liquids inside the barrels to cure, and thus had to be disposed of as waste.
6 chillers along with Fluxwraps were used to elevate the excessive temperatures to stop the liquids from curing, and thus saving General Electric $40,000 each and every week.