16/12/2014

ChilledWaterCentralAirConditioningPlants

ChilledWaterCentralAirConditioningSystems
writtenby:HareshKhemanieditedby:LamarStonecypherupdated:9/26/2009
InthepreviousarticlewesawDXtypeofcentralairconditioningplant,thisarticledescribeschilledwatertypeofcentralairconditioner.

ChilledWaterCentralAirConditioningPlants
Thechilledwatertypesofcentralairconditioningplantsareinstalledintheplacewherewholelargebuildings,shoppingmall,airport,hotel,etc,comprisingofseveral
floorsaretobeairconditioned.Whileinthedirectexpansiontypeofcentralairconditioningplants,refrigerantisdirectlyusedtocooltheroomairinthechilledwater
plantstherefrigerantfirstchillsthewater,whichinturnchillstheroomair.
Inchilledwaterplants,theordinarywaterorbrinesolutionischilledtoverylowtemperaturesofabout6to8degreeCelsiusbytherefrigerationplant.Thischilled
waterispumpedtovariousfloorsofthebuildinganditsdifferentparts.Ineachofthesepartstheairhandlingunitsareinstalled,whichcompriseofthecoolingcoil,
blowerandtheducts.Thechilledwaterflowsthroughthecoolingcoil.Theblowerabsorbsreturnairfromtheairconditionedroomsthataretobecooledviatheducts.
Thisairpassesoverthecoolingcoilandgetscooledandisthenpassedtotheairconditionedspace.

ChilledCentralAirConditioners

VariousPartsoftheChilledWaterAirConditioningPlant
Alltheimportantpartsofthechilledwaterairconditioningplantareshownintheabovefigureanddescribedindetailbelow:

1)CentralAirConditioningPlantRoom:
Theplantroomcomprisesofalltheimportantcomponentsofthechilledwaterairconditioningplant.Theseincludethecompressor,condenser,thermostatic
expansionvalveandtheevaporatororthechiller.Thecompressorisofopentypeandcanbedrivenbythemotordirectlyorbythebeltviapulleyarrangement
connectedtothemotor.Itiscooledbythewaterjustliketheautomotiveengine.
Thecondenserandtheevaporatorareofshellandtubetype.Thecondenseriscooledbythewater,withwaterflowingalongtheshellsideandrefrigerantalongthe
tubeside.Thethermostaticexpansionvalveisoperatedautomaticallybythesolenoidvalve.
Theevaporatorisalsocalledasthechiller,becauseitchillsthewater.Ifthewaterflowsalongtheshellsideandrefrigerantonthetubeside,itiscalledasthedry
expansiontypeofchiller.Ifthewaterflowsalongtubesideandtherefrigerantalongtheshellside,itiscalledasthefloodedchiller.Thewaterchilledinthechilleris
pumpedtovariouspartsofthebuildingthataretobeairconditioned.Itenterstheairhandlingunit,coolstheairincoolingcoil,absorbstheheatandreturnsbackto
theplantroomtogetchilledagain.Theamountofwaterpassingintothechilleriscontrolledbytheflowswitch.
Inthecentralairconditioningplantroomallthecomponents,thecompressor,condenser,thermostaticexpansionvalve,andthechillerareassembledinthestructural
steelframeworkmakingacompletecompactrefrigerationplant,knownasthechillerpackage.Pipingrequiredtoconnectthesepartsisalsoenclosedinthisunit
makingahighlycompactcentralairconditioningplant.
Theairhandlingunitsareinstalledinthevariouspartsofthebuildingthataretobeairconditioned,intheplacecalledairhandlingunitrooms.Theairhandlingunits
compriseofthecoolingcoil,airfilter,theblowerandthesupplyandreturnairducts.Thechilledwaterflowsthroughthecoolingcoil.Theblowerabsorbsthereturnhot
airfromtheairconditionedspaceandblowsitoverthecoolingcoilthuscoolingtheair.Thiscooledairpassesovertheairfilterandispassedbythesupplyairducts

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ChilledWaterCentralAirConditioningPlants
intothespacewhichistobeairconditioned.Theairhandlingunitandtheductspassingthroughitareinsulatedtoreducethelossofthecoolingeffect.

2)AirHandlingUnitRooms:
Theairhandlingunitsareinstalledinthevariouspartsofthebuildingthataretobeairconditioned,intheplacecalledairhandlingunitrooms.Theairhandlingunits
compriseofthecoolingcoil,airfilter,theblowerandthesupplyandreturnairducts.Thechilledwaterflowsthroughthecoolingcoil.Theblowerabsorbsthereturnhot
airfromtheairconditionedspaceandblowsitoverthecoolingcoilthuscoolingtheair.Thiscooledairpassesovertheairfilterandispassedbythesupplyairducts
intothespacewhichistobeairconditioned.Theairhandlingunitandtheductspassingthroughitareinsulatedtoreducethelossofthecoolingeffect.

3)AirConditionedRooms:
Thesearetheroomsorspacesthataretobeairconditioned.Thesecanberesidentialorhotelrooms,halls,shops,offices,completetheater,variouspartsofthe
airportetc.Atthetopoftheseroomsthesupplyandthereturnairductsarelaid.Thesupplyairductssupplythecoolairtotheroomviaonesetofthediffusers,while
thereturnairductsabsorbsthehotreturnairfromtheroombyanothersetofthediffusers.Thehotreturnairenterstheairhandlingunit,getscooledandagainenters
theroomviasupplyducttoproduceairconditioningeffect.

4)CoolingTower:
Thecoolingtowerisusedtocoolthewaterthatabsorbsheatfromthecompressorandthecondenser.Whenwaterflowsthroughthesecomponentssomewatergets
evaporated,tomakeupthislosssomewaterisalsoaddedinthecoolingtower.Thecoolingtowerisofevaporativetype.Herethewateriscooledbytheatmospheric
airandisrecirculatedthroughthecompressorandthecondenser.

ImageCourtesyandReference
1)BasicRefrigerationandAirconditioningbyPNAnanthanarayanan,TataMcGrawHillPublishingCompanyLimited.
2)http://www.peoplesgasdelivery.com/business/DisplayESource.aspx?type=PA&page=PA_15

CENTRALAIRCONDITIONERPLANTS.CENTRALAIRCONDITIONINGPLANTS
Therearetwotypesofcentralairconditioningsystems:DirectExpansion(DX)typeofcentralairconditionplantsandChilledWatertypeofthecentralairconditioning
plants.Inthisseriesofarticlesboththeseplantsandairhandlingunitshavebeendescribed.

DirectExpansion(DX)TypeofCentralAirConditioningPlantorSystem
ChilledWaterCentralAirConditioningSystems
ComparisonofDXandChilledWaterCentralAirConditioningPlants
AirHandlingUnitsorFanCoilUnits
CentralAirWasherorCentralEvaporativeAirCoolingPlant

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