Different type of Chillers use in Data Center

Types of Chillers

There are several divisions of chillers based on how the refrigerant dispels the heat it absorbs and the type of compressor. There are also specially-designed chillers that perform unique and unusual functions. Due to the amount of technological developments, improvements, and changes to chiller designs over the years, it is impossible to form a complete list of all types of chillers just a basic collection for your reference.

Water Cooled Chillers

Water cooled chillers are normally combined with a cooling tower and use a condenser water treatment system to remove mineral deposits. The cooling tower sends water to the chiller to be cooled.

Air Cooled Chillers

An air cooled chiller is used where discharge is not a problem. It absorbs heat from water and transfers it into the air: first, heat from the circulating chilled water is absorbed in the evaporator, and then the refrigerant condenses in the condenser and releases the heat into the air.

Screw Chillers

Screw chillers can be water or air cooled and use a helical rotor to move and compress the refrigerant vapors. Screw Chillers are vapor compressor chillers that use a screw compressor to transport the coolant through the system. Some key benefits are compact installation, quiet operation, lower maintenance costs, and high energy efficiency. They are also ideal for high-rise buildings.

Scroll Chillers

Scroll chillers have a set of scrolls that are used to compress the refrigerant and operate quieter and more efficiently. Since they are environmentally friendly, they are increasing in popularity.

Centrifugal Chillers

Centrifugal chillers use compression to convert kinetic energy into static energy to increase the temperature and pressure of the refrigerant. Impeller blades pull in the refrigerant and compress it.

Absorption Chillers

In an absorption chiller, a generator uses steam or hot water to change the refrigerant into a vapor, which moves to the condenser and is then sent back to the absorber. The refrigerant vapor is absorbed by a solution, which condenses into a vapor to release heat.

Low Temperature Chillers

Low-temperature chillers are for industries that operate below freezing and require chillers that can produce temperatures at –40 °F (-40 °C). They are used for ice rinks, petrochemical cooling, chemical extraction, and medical, pharmaceutical, and food processing industries, as well as product testing labs.

Evaporative Chillers

An evaporative chiller uses the power of evaporation to cool air. When water evaporates, it becomes a gas. High energy particles leave, causing the surrounding air's temperature to drop radically. This process can be felt when air is misted into a room. An evaporative chiller takes the natural process of evaporation and enhances it through the use of technology.

An evaporative chiller's process requires using a reservoir of water, a fan, and thick pads. The fan draws in hot air, which crosses through the thick pads that absorb water from the reservoir. As the hot air passes through the pads, the water on the surface evaporates and causes the air temperature to drop by nearly 20 degrees Fahrenheit.

Thermoelectric Coolers (TEC)

TECs use the Peltier effect, where a heat flux is generated at the connection of two dissimilar materials across which a DC current is passed. The positive and negative semiconductors are arranged parallel in the thermal path and in a series along the electrical path. As voltage is applied, electrons carry heat to one side, making the other side cold. The transferred energy is collected by a heat sink and then removed by fans into the ambient air.

A TEC assembly can be mounted directly onto the cold plate or be used to cool a refrigerant liquid. TECs are normally used with applications where cooling is less than 400 watts.