What is a fluid chiller?
A fluid chiller, also known as thermo chiller, is a cooling system designed to precisely cool a liquid medium, typically water or a water-glycol mixture, to a predetermined temperature.
How does a fluid chiller work?
At the heart of the process lies a closed loop system, much like a circuit. The liquid you want to cool circulates continuously within this loop, travelling from the chiller to the machine or process, and back again. The chiller acts like a thermostat, constantly regulating the temperature of the liquid to a pre-set value, called the setpoint.
In the machine or application, the liquid absorbs heat as it does its job. Once warmed up, it returns to the chiller. Here, the chiller cools it back down to the desired setpoint temperature, ready for another loop.
The chiller acts like a dedicated cooling system, keeping your liquid at a constant temperature for optimal performance in your machinery or process.
Types of fluid chillers
Fluid chillers come in two primary configurations:
- Closed tank chiller: In these industrial water chillers, all elements are, in principle, under positive pressure.
- Open tank chiller: In these industrial water chillers the tank is open to the atmosphere.
What types of chillers does SMC offer?
At SMC we exclusively specialise in open tank chillers, i.e. the type of water cooler with the upper tank open to the atmosphere. Our open tank chillers can be installed and operated in both indoor and outdoor environments, providing flexibility for diverse applications. They are compatible with dual frequencies (50/60 Hz) and a wide range of standard electrical supplies, ensuring seamless integration across global operations.
Our chiller range encompasses two main categories:
These industrial fluid chillers control temperature using a refrigerant gas circuit, which can be single-circuit or dual-circuit:
- Single-Channel: Designed to control a single cooling circuit. Available in standard or rack-mounted models.
- Dual-Channel: Designed to control two independent cooling circuits with different setpoint temperatures.
These fluid chillers control temperature using Peltier elements.
SMC offers chillers for cooling various types of circulating fluids, such as clean water, deionized water, water-glycol solutions, and fluorinated fluids.
When to use an industrial fluid chiller?
Industrial fluid chillers provide exceptional cooling stability, ensuring consistent temperature control for your processes. This translates into optimized Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE), leading to improved productivity and reduced downtime.
There are various situations in which it is recommended to use industrial fluid chillers:
- Cooling with industrial water: This method, while seemingly straightforward, can introduce quality issues due to the water source, such as wells or pools. These sources may contain algae, particles, or scaling, leading to system malfunctions.
- Cooling with cooling tower water: Cooling towers often lack cooling stability and incur significant maintenance and water treatment costs. These drawbacks can make industrial fluid chillers a more attractive and cost-effective solution.
- Cooling with municipal water (potable water): Industrial fluid chillers offer a means to reduce potable water supply and discharge costs. This not only translates into financial savings but also contributes to improved energy efficiency.
- Lack of or inadequate cooling method: If an existing chiller is outdated, maintenance costs will be high, making a new chiller a more cost-effective solution. Additionally, new applications may require a suitable cooling method, and evaluating the most appropriate option is essential.
How to select the right industrial chiller?
The primary parameter for selecting a fluid chiller is its cooling capacity, referring to the amount of heat the chiller can dissipate per unit of time.
The secondary parameter to consider is the pump capacity, encompassing both flow rate and pressure. These two values are directly related and can be found on the "Flow-Pressure" charts provided in our catalogues.
If the cooling capacity or heat dissipation value is unknown, you can calculate and size the fluid chiller using the following data:
- Flow rate
- Supply temperature
- Return temperature
To ensure proper sizing, consider both the flow rate and discharge pressure. Additionally, ambient temperature plays a role in adjusting the sizing.
Chiller dimensioning can be performed manually or using calculation tools like our chiller selection software. This engineering tool provides both the cooling capacity and pumping capacity charts, ensuring you select the most suitable chiller for your specific needs.
Need help selecting an industrial chiller? Consult with our temperature control specialists.
