02 - KW TR Relation PDF

Introduction to Improving Energy
Efficiency in Chiller Systems
Riyaz Papar, PE, CEM

Director, Global Energy Services
Hudson Technologies Company
rpapar@hudsontech.com
November 2013
1 © Hudson Technologies
Acknowledgments
 Texas Industries of the Future (TXIOF)

 Texas State Energy Conservation Office (SECO)
 Energy Industries in Ohio
 Joe Longo & Derrick Shoemake, Hudson

Technologies
Webinar Agenda
 The Systems Approach
 Fundamentals of Refrigeration
 Chiller Plant Actual Operating Performance
 Predictive and Preventive Maintenance

BestPractices
 Energy Conservation Measures (ECMs)
 Conclusions
Chiller System Energy Cost?
 1,000 Refrigeration Tons chiller plant load
 Chiller System performance = 0.75 kW/ton
 Bundled power cost = $0.085/kWh
600,000
500,000
Operating Cost ($)
400,000
300,000
200,000
100,000
-
4 months 6-8 months All year round
Operating hours
The Systems Approach
 Establish current system conditions,

operating parameters, and system energy use
 Investigate how the total system presently
operates
 Identify potential areas where system
operation can be improved
 Analyze the impacts of potential
improvements to the plant system
 Implement system improvements that meet
plant operational and financial criteria
 Continue to monitor overall system
performance
A Chilled Water Plant Systems Approach
Main Driving Force for Change
 Energy
 Reliability
 Maintenance
 Productivity
 Quality
 Cost avoidance
 Emissions reductions
Fundamentals of
Refrigeration
The Refrigeration Cycle
3 R134a
10
P [psia]
Condensation / SubCooling
105°F
2
10 Expansion
Compression
40°F
Ev aporation (Boiling)
0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8
1
10
0 25 50 75 100 125 150
h [Btu/lbm]
State Point
Single Stage Chiller System
HGBP (Hot Gas ByPass)
Compressor
Condenser Cooling Water
Evaporator Chilled Water
HGBP
A Centrifugal
A Water-Cooled
Chiller Chiller System
Condenser
Compressor
Evaporator (Chiller Barrel)
Two Stage Chiller System
HGBP
Compressor
Condenser Cooling Water
Evaporator Chilled Water
Economizer HGBP
(Hot Gas ByPass)
LiBr-Water Absorption Chillers
The Air, Water and Refrigerant Cycle
Chiller Plant - Actual
Operating Performance
Chiller Capacity
 Definition of Refrigeration Ton (RT)

 The amount of thermal energy to be
removed from 1 Ton (2,000 lbs) of
water at 32°F to make it into ice at 32°F
in one day (24 hr) is known as 1 RT
 1 RT = 12,000 Btu/hr = 3.517 kW
 Chiller capacity (size or tonnage) is the

amount of full load cooling capacity
provided by the chiller at certain design
conditions
Chiller Performance Metrics
 Most standard rating in the US - kW/RT

(hp/RT)
 Amount of compressor power (kW or
hp) required to produce 1 RT of cooling
or refrigeration
Compressor Power (kW )

kW / RT 
Cooling Load ( RT )
Chiller Full Load Design Specifications
 Obtained from the Chiller Manufacturer
Chiller ID: Chiller #6 Chiller Manufacturer: ZZZZZZZ
Year Commissioned: 1990 Chiller Type: Constant Speed Centrifugal
Model Number: XXXXXXXXXX Serial Number: AAAAAAAA
Refrigerant Type: R-134a Capacity (Tonnage): 2,000
Efficiency (kW/Ton): 0.625 IPLV / NPLV: .541
Full Load Amps (FLA): 198 Volts: 4160
Evaporator Entering Water Temperature: 54.37°F Evaporator Leaving Water Temperature: 44°F
Condenser Entering Water Temperature: 85°F Condenser Leaving Water Temperature: 94.4°F
Evaporator Delta Temperature: 10.37°F Condenser Delta Temperature: 9.4°F
Evaporator GPM: 4,627 Condenser GPM: 6,000
Evaporator Pressure Drop (psig): 9.9 Condenser Pressure Drop (psig): 8.1
Overall Chiller Plant Performance
 Information required
 Total tonnage
 Total kW
 Compressor Power
 Pumping Power
 Cooling Tower Fan Power
 Other (as defined in the scope)
 kW
Plant Performance  n
 Chiller Tons
m
Overall Chiller Plant Performance
Chiller Plant Efficiency Metrics
 Overall chiller plant performance

 Total tonnage
 Total kW (including chillers and auxiliaries)
 Individual chiller efficiency
 Chiller tonnage
 Compressor kW
 Individual Chiller Lift
 Lift is defined as the difference between the refrigerant
saturated condensing and evaporating temperatures
 Individual compressor isentropic efficiency
 Suction and discharge temperatures
 Suction and discharge pressures
 Individual heat exchanger effectiveness
 Approach temperatures
 T on chilled water and cooling tower water
Predictive & Preventive
Maintenance
BestPractices
First Things First – Fluid Management
 Understanding “Cause” and “Effect” is very
important for Root Cause Analysis
 This enhances system reliability and reduces
unplanned shutdown
 Significant savings in Maintenance costs
 Most Maintenance BestPractices are testing-
based
 Refrigerant, Oil and Water Testing
 Rotating equipment monitoring
 Vibration analysis
 Eddy-current testing
 In chiller systems, contaminants affect
efficiency & capacity
 Chemistry Based Solutions
Blood Chemistry
Chiller Chemistry
Refrigerant Analysis Criteria
 Moisture
 Oil
 Particulate
 Chlorides
 Acid
 Purity
 Non-Condensables
 Other Contaminants
Nonferrous cutting wear Severe sliding wear
Ferrography Copper alloy

Oil Analysis sliding wear
Water Testing and Analysis
 Cooling Tower Water testing and analysis

 Open loop – evaporation of water
 Control of corrosion, scale and biological activity
 Material of construction plays a very important role
 Testing conducted for pH, TDS, Conductivity, Hardness,
Alkalinity, Chlorides, Silica, Bacteria, etc.
 Chilled Water testing and analysis

 Closed loop – generally less issues
 Lower temperatures
 Working with a water chemist / treatment

company
 Periodic testing program
Energy Conservation
Measures (ECMs)
3 Methods of Maximizing Chiller Plant Efficiency
 Preventive
 Identify problems before they become expensive
(cost avoidance)
 Maintain optimum chiller plant efficiency
 Restorative
 Identify heat transfer problems, i.e., off-design
water flow, fouling or scaling, etc.
 Remove non-condensable gases
 Maintain proper refrigerant levels
 Opportunity
 Identify optimal chilled water set points
 Proper chiller sequencing and load balancing
 Proper tower basin water management
 Peak demand management
 Condition-based maintenance versus scheduled
preventive maintenance
List of ECMs
 Implement ECWT management

 Optimize settings for ChWST
No Cost / Low Cost

 Eliminate all refrigerant leaks
Maintain design water flow rates
ECMs

in evaporator / condenser
 Eliminate refrigerant stacking
 Remove non-condensable gases
and moisture
 Reclaim refrigerant
List of ECMs (continued)
 Clean fouled and scaled heat
Medium Cost
exchangers
ECMs
 Sequence multiple chillers to optimize
efficiency
 Maintain compressor isentropic
efficiency
 Improve drive efficiency
Higher Cost
 Investigate application of variable
ECMs
frequency drives
 Undertake peak load management
strategy
 Install water-side economizers
Implement ECWT Management
 ECWT – Entering Cooling Water Temperature
 Approach
 The approach is the difference in temperature between
the cooled-water temperature and the entering-air wet
bulb temperature
 Since the cooling towers are based on the principles of
evaporative cooling, the maximum cooling tower
efficiency depends on the wet bulb temperature of air
 Wet Bulb
 Wet bulb temperature is the lowest temperature that
can be reached by the evaporation of water only
 It is determined by the atmospheric pressure, ambient
temperature and the relative humidity
Concept of Lift
Implement ECWT Management
80°F ECWT drops to 70°F ECWT
kW/ton drops from 0.7 to 0.47 (33% improvement)
Optimize Settings for ChWST
 ChWST – Chilled Water Supply Temperature
 Approach / RAT
 The approach (RAT) is the difference in temperature
between the chilled-water supply temperature and the
refrigerant saturated temperature in the evaporator
 It provides the driving force to transfer the heat from
the water to the refrigerant
 Load control
 Cooling required is controlled by bypassing chilled
water flow
 Alternate methodology – variable pumping
 Primary
 Secondary
Optimize Settings for ChWST
0.475
0.45
Chiller Performance (kW/RT)
0.425
0.4
0.375
0.35
0.325
0.3
41 42 43 44 45 46 47
CWST (°F)
Clean Fouled and Scaled Evaporator
 Fouling in the evaporator / cooler

 Refrigerant-side
 Water-side
 Refrigerant-side fouling – Excess Oil
 Refrigerant-side fouling – Water
 Water-side fouling
 High makeup (leaks) in the closed loop system
 Iron fouling from corrosion, microbiological growth and
scale due to insufficient chemical protection
Fouled/Scaled Evaporator
Iron Oxide Scaled

Condition
After tube brushing
Fouled/Scaled Condenser
March
July
Sept
Reclaim Refrigerant
 Over time and operations, the refrigerant in the

chiller gets contaminated and results in
 Fouling of heat exchangers
 Reductions in heat transfer coefficients
 The process of recovering the refrigerant and
bringing it back to AHRI-700 specification
standard is known as “Reclamation”
 Reclaiming a refrigerant improves overall
operating performance and in most cases
increases chiller tonnage (capacity)
 Periodic sampling and testing of refrigerants in
chiller systems is key to ensuring that the chiller
chemistry is well maintained
 Analogous to maintaining water chemistry in boilers
Reclaim Refrigerant
Moisture in
refrigerant
Presence of Oil
in refrigerant
Particulate in
refrigerant
Impact on Capacity Reclaim Refrigerant
SUMMARY of RESULTS & COST SAVINGS
Total System Design P/L Design F/L Refrigerant
Tons = 1,502 [RT] 1,502 [RT] 2,002 [RT] Design: R134a
com pHP = 1,219 [HP] 1,503 [HP] 2,360 [HP] Currently Used: R134a
HPTon = 0.81 [BHP/RT] 1.001 [HP/Ton] 1.18 [BHP/RT]
Steam Rate = 12.02 [lb/hr-HP] 12.03 [lb/hr-HP]

NC% = 0.0 [% ] Superheat Capacity Penalties
Balance Syste m = 0.0 [% ]
Capacity Loss (RT) %
Com ponent Balances Evaporator 2.8 0.1
Balance Evap = 0.0 [% ]
Balance SubCoole r = ???? [% ]

Potential Savings Opportunities
Pressure Ratio (current): 2.6
Annual Energy Costs
Steam Cost = 14.48 [$/1000lb]
Evaporator Condenser System
Hours = 4,000 [Hr]
New Ratio 2.3 2.6 2.3
LFC = 0.80 [kW/ton]
Savings (% ) 13.1 0.0 13.1
Cost ($) NC Penalty ($)
678,871 0
Impact of Oil, Particulate

& Moisture in refrigerant
on energy efficiency &
44 costs © Hudson Technologies
Eliminate Refrigerant Stacking
 Refrigerant stacking impacts heat transfer efficiency

in both the evaporator and condenser - higher
kW/Ton and energy costs
 Leads to reduced compressor capacity
 Chiller surging or stalling
 Shut down on low refrigerant temperature

(pressure)
Refrigerant Stacking
Raise
ECWT
Sequence Multiple Chillers to Optimize Efficiency
 All chillers will have an optimal operation range

(best efficiency point)
 When multiple chillers are operating, the overall

plant’s composite operating curve maybe very
different from the individual chiller’s curve
 It is important to know how each of the chillers

operate under different load conditions
 Pick the best chiller operating combination for

the current operating conditions – Dynamic
Optimization problem (NOT Easy)
Investigate Application of Variable
Frequency Drives (VFD)
 Replacing old chillers with newer energy efficient systems –
most new packaged chillers will come with a VFD option
 VFDs take advantage of lower ambient temperatures (lower

lift) and correspondingly lower cooling loads (lower
refrigerant flow rates)
 VFD pumps and fans can play a very important role in

reducing total system energy consumption
 VFD efficiency is extremely high (99%) and more

importantly, it offers a benefit on the drive side by providing
 Soft start capability
 Power factor correction
Comparison of Constant Speed & VFD
Chiller Performance
0.75
0.7
Chiller Performance (kW/RT)
Constant Speed
0.65
Variable Frequency
0.6
0.55
0.5
0.45
0.4
0.35
0.3
20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
Cooling Load (% )
Install Water-side Economizers
 This ECM is applicable only in certain

geographical areas but can have a huge
impact on energy savings
 Installing a water-side economizer allows for

“free cooling” during times of the year when
the outdoor ambient conditions allow for
very low wet-bulb temperatures
 The cooling tower water provides all (or

some portion) of the chilled water plant load
and reduces the amount of chillers required
Undertake a Peak Load Management Strategy
 Peak demand charges can become excessive

depending on chiller plant management and
operational strategy
 There are 3 ways to manage peak demand

regarding chillers
 Thermal energy storage
 Optimize chiller efficiency to lower kW usage of running
chillers
 Take a chiller off-line
Conclusions
Next Steps
 Develop a simple schematic of your Chiller Plant /
Refrigeration system and define the boundaries
 Use a systems approach to complete an initial assessment to

understand operations and load profile
 Undertake a simple gap analysis to identify any potential

improvement opportunities
 Evaluate each ECM and prioritize based on quantified savings

opportunities
 Put a program in place to ensure that there is proper

Predictive and Preventive Maintenance BestPractices
 Implement an effective Chiller Plant Performance Monitoring,

Diagnostics and Optimization system
1-Day Training Workshop
Introduction to Energy Efficiency in

Chiller Plant Systems
December 17, 2013
8 am – 4 pm
Houston Business RoundTable

5213 Center Street
Pasadena, TX 77505
Facilitator: Riyaz Papar, PE, CEM

Hudson Technologies Co.
Registration Information:
Kathey Ferland
Texas Industries of Future
kferland@mail.utexas.edu
http://TexasIOF.ceer.utexas.edu
Contact Information
Technical Information
Riyaz Papar, PE, CEM
Hudson Technologies Co.
rpapar@hudsontech.com
http://www.hudsontech.com
Program Information
Kathey Ferland
Texas Industries of Future
kferland@mail.utexas.edu
http://TexasIOF.ceer.utexas.edu

02 - KW TR Relation PDF

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

You might also like

02 - KW TR Relation PDF

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

02 - KW TR Relation PDF

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Introduction to Improving Energy

Efficiency in Chiller Systems

Riyaz Papar, PE, CEM

 Texas Industries of the Future (TXIOF)

 Energy Industries in Ohio

 Joe Longo & Derrick Shoemake, Hudson

 The Systems Approach

 Chiller Plant Actual Operating Performance

 Predictive and Preventive Maintenance

 Energy Conservation Measures (ECMs)

 Establish current system conditions,

0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8

Condenser Cooling Water

Evaporator Chilled Water

Evaporator (Chiller Barrel)

Condenser Cooling Water

Evaporator Chilled Water

The Systems Approach

 Definition of Refrigeration Ton (RT)

 1 RT = 12,000 Btu/hr = 3.517 kW

 Chiller capacity (size or tonnage) is the

 Most standard rating in the US - kW/RT

Compressor Power (kW )

 Obtained from the Chiller Manufacturer

Chiller ID: Chiller #6 Chiller Manufacturer: ZZZZZZZ

Year Commissioned: 1990 Chiller Type: Constant Speed Centrifugal

Model Number: XXXXXXXXXX Serial Number: AAAAAAAA

Refrigerant Type: R-134a Capacity (Tonnage): 2,000

Efficiency (kW/Ton): 0.625 IPLV / NPLV: .541

Full Load Amps (FLA): 198 Volts: 4160

Evaporator Delta Temperature: 10.37°F Condenser Delta Temperature: 9.4°F

Evaporator GPM: 4,627 Condenser GPM: 6,000

 Overall chiller plant performance

Ferrography Copper alloy

 Cooling Tower Water testing and analysis

 Chilled Water testing and analysis

 Working with a water chemist / treatment

 Implement ECWT management

No Cost / Low Cost

80°F ECWT drops to 70°F ECWT

kW/ton drops from 0.7 to 0.47 (33% improvement)

 Fouling in the evaporator / cooler

 Refrigerant-side fouling – Excess Oil

 Refrigerant-side fouling – Water

Iron Oxide Scaled

After tube brushing

 Over time and operations, the refrigerant in the

Steam Rate = 12.02 [lb/hr-HP] 12.03 [lb/hr-HP]

Com ponent Balances Evaporator 2.8 0.1

Balance Evap = 0.0 [% ]

Balance SubCoole r = ???? [% ]

Impact of Oil, Particulate

 Refrigerant stacking impacts heat transfer efficiency

 Leads to reduced compressor capacity

 Chiller surging or stalling

 Shut down on low refrigerant temperature

 All chillers will have an optimal operation range

 When multiple chillers are operating, the overall