Why YORK Switched to Open drive Motor:

There are several points that we at York International Corp. — the world’s leading
manufacturer of open-drive chillers — are compelled to address so that your readers have a
  more current and balanced picture.

open-drive centrifugal and screw chillers represented over one-third of the large-tonnage
chillers sold in the U.S. in the 1990s. That’s a 50% market-share increase from the 1980s.
Chiller buyers and specifiers must have good reasons for switching to open-drive chillers in
such large numbers, and they do.

• Reliability of heavy-duty ODP motors (open, drip-proof), with their simple cooling
and lubrication systems.
• Accessibility and serviceability of open motors, without the need to disassemble the
compressor.
• Less downtime for routine service, because the motor is not tied to the refrigerant
circuit.
• Lower cost and less downtime in the event of motor burnout, which is considered a
catastrophic failure in hermetic systems.
• Proven energy efficiency of open-drive designs.
• Inherent flexibility of open-drive systems for resizing and retrofit, parallel-drive and
hybrid-drive applications.

So, a lot of owners, engineers and contractors are moving to open-drive chillers, including
systems below 2,000 tons of refrigeration, and with good reason.

Now let’s examine five specific points raised by competitors:

1. Open motors have an average life of only 10 to 15 years. On the contrary, with normal
maintenance, all large-tonnage chillers should experience a useful service life of 20-25 years.
ASHRAE pegs life expectancy at 23 years, with no differentiation between hermetic or open
drive. There is, however, a substantial difference in motor operation, which we believe favors
the open design.

At low-load operation, adequate motor cooling is an issue with hermetic systems because less
refrigerant is being circulated to the motor windings. Thus, all hermetic chillers need and
have high-temperature motor protection. Open, constant-speed chillers get the same amount
of cooling at both full-load and part-load conditions.

2. Open motor-compressor alignment is a field-engineering challenge. This might be true

on chillers with an external gear, However, open motors on York factory-packaged chillers
up to 2,200 tons use a flange arrangement whereby the motor casting is bolted directly to the
compressor casting so no field alignment is required.

The flange provides factory alignment of the compressor and motor shafts, eliminating
concern about thermal growth from either component; the two work as one unit. If the motor
ever needs to be removed from the chiller for repair, alignment is automatic when the motor
is re-bolted to the compressor.
3. Open-drive chillers tend to have the highest leak rates in the industry. In fact, chillers
from all the major manufacturers in the late 1990s are designed, built and tested to be leak-
free. Today’s open-drive chillers are as leak-tight as both semi-hermetic and full-hermetic
designs.

Leaks can occur in any chiller at pipe connections, screw-thread connections, and gasketed
areas on compressor castings. York engineers have systematically reduced the number of
potential leak points in all our chillers.

Specific measures include:

• Reducing length of piping and number of fittings;

• Replacing pipe-thread connections with face-seal fittings;
• Replacing compression-fit connections with brazed connections; and
• Utilizing “low-leak” valves.

Further, EPA’s acceptable chiller leak rate of 5% per year is well above field
experience with all types of chillers. All new chillers have leak rates of less than 1%,
with no difference between open and hermetic drives.

4. Contributing to this leak-tight performance are vastly improved open-drive shaft seals.
Today’s shaft seals are made of advanced materials that are better lubricated throughout
chiller operation. Positive-pressure chillers are equipped with double seals that also keep the
seal faces moist during shutdown. The oil used to lubricate the seals has had the refrigerant
previously removed. The bottom line is, refrigerant loss through open-drive chiller shaft seals
is negligible.

5. Open-motor chillers generate more ambient heat than hermetic chillers, and imply
that is a serious concern. All chiller motors generate heat. An open motor obviously adds
heat to the equipment-room ambient, as does other equipment such as pumps and air-
handling units.

Local codes already require sufficient equipment-room ventilation to ensure operator

comfort. ASHRAE 15 Safety Code for Mechanical Refrigeration has a similar provision. The
heat generated by the open-drive chiller is simply factored into the ventilation calculation.

What about the heat generated by a hermetic motor? It must be absorbed by the chiller and
exhausted to the cooling tower. This lowers chiller capacity or increases the chiller-system
power requirement.

In summary, we find the above raised points lacking in both expertise and objectivity. It
appears to be based primarily on obsolete Carrier chiller technology and outdated thinking
about open-drive chiller operation and maintenance.
Take advantage of colder entering-condenser water:
Unlike competitive chillers which require entering condenser-water temperature (ECWT) from the
cooling tower to be held artificially high, YORK YK centrifugal chillers can utilize ECWT as low as 55
±F (13±C). The lower ECWT reduces the compressor workload, and that can reduce instantaneous
energy consumption as much as 50%.

Different Refrigerants Used in Centrifugal Chillers

COMPRESSOR

The compressor is a single stage centrifugal type powered by an open drive electric motor. The
casing is fully accessible with vertical circular joints and fabricated of close grain cast iron. The
complete operating assembly is removable from the compressor and scroll housing.
The rotor assembly consists of a heat treated alloy steel drive shaft and impeller shaft with a high
strength, cast aluminum alloy, fully shrouded impeller. The impeller is designed for balanced thrust
and is dynamically balanced and overspeed tested for smooth, vibration free operation.
The insert-type journal and thrust bearings are fabricated of aluminum alloy and are precision bored
and axially grooved. The specially engineered, single helical gears with crowned teeth are designed
so that more than one tooth is in contact at all times to provide even distribution of compressor load
and quiet operation. Gears are assembled as part of the compressor rotor support and are film
lubricated. Each gear is individually mounted in its own journal and thrust bearings to isolate it from
impeller and motor forces.

YORK shrouded impeller vs. Carrier unshrouded impeller:

The advantage of a shrouded impeller is that it has less aerodynamic losses, thus improving
the efficiency of the YORK compressor. It does this by reducing the amount of high pressure
refrigerant gas that seeps back into the low pressure region of the compressor.
An unshrouded impeller potentially allows Carrier’s design engineers to fine-tune its size for
different capacity and lift conditions. The reality is that the impeller size is restricted by the
limited amount of compressor sizes. Furthermore, the manufacturing process is much more
complex, and they run the risk of getting high tolerances (which in turn can lead to lower
efficiency and greater chance of compressor surge).
 
 

Compressor surge
Carrier’s compressor is prone to surge at lower loads. If YORK forces the specs to provide a
chiller to be stable with constant ECWT of 85°F as low as 15% of total capacity without use
of hot gas bypass, Carrier will have difficulty meeting the efficiency and stability, and it will
force them to use larger heat exchangers and compressor.

MOTOR DRIVELINE
The compressor motor is an open drip proof, squirrel cage, induction type constructed to YORK
design specifications. The 60 hertz motors operate at 3570 rpm and the 50 hertz motors operate at
2975 rpm.
The open motor is provided with a D flange, and is factory-mounted to a cast iron adaptor mounted on
the compressor. This unique design allows the motor to be rigidly coupled to the compressor to
provide factory alignment of motor and compressor shafts.
Motor drive shaft is directly connected to the compressor shaft with a flexible disc coupling. Coupling
has all metal construction with no wearing parts to assure long life, and no lubrication requirements to
provide low maintenance.
For units utilizing remote electro mechanical starters, a large, steel terminal box with gasketed front
access cover is provided for field-connected conduit. There are six terminals (three for medium
voltage) brought through the motor casing into the terminal box. Jumpers are furnished for three-lead
types of starting. Motor terminal lugs are not furnished. Overload/over-current transformers are
furnished with all units. For units furnished with factory-packaged Solid-State Starters or Variable
Speed Drive, refer to the Accessories and Modifications Section.

Hybrid Falling Film Evaporator:

The evaporator is a shell and tube type with customer process fluid flowing inside the tubes and
refrigerant removing heat on the shell side via evaporation. Evaporator codes A_ thru Q_ utilize a
hybrid falling film design. It contains a balance of flooded and falling film technology to optimize
efficiency, minimize refrigerant charge, and maintain reliable control. A specifically designed spray
distributor provides uniform distribution of refrigerant over the entire length to yield optimum heat
transfer. The hybrid falling film evaporator design has suction baffles around the sides and above the
falling film section to prevent liquid refrigerant carryover into the compressor.
Environmental responsibility
The environmental impact of your chiller can be significant. You can reduce your impact by specifying
YORK YK chillers. You'll get the benefit of refrigerant HFC-134a, which has zero ozone depletion
potential (ODP). Plus, the high efficiency of the chillers reduces the indirect global warming potential
(GWP), which is 98% of the total impact, caused by greenhouse-gas emissions produced by your
utility to power the chiller. In addition, because of the chillers' high efficiency, your building could earn
points for the Optimize Energy Performance (EAc1) credit in the Leadership in Energy and
Environmental Design® (LEED) program. Falling-film technology, utilized in the evaporator of YK
chillers, reduces the refrigerant charge by up to 40%. It is available in YK chillers up to about 1,000
TR (based on conditions), and will help your building to qualify for maximum LEED points for
Enhanced Refrigerant Management (EAc4).

Adaptive capacity control optimizes performance:

When a YORK YK chiller is equipped with an OptiSpeed drive, it incorporates advanced Adaptive
Capacity Control logic, which continually optimizes chiller operation. It closely examines critical
operating parameters, and then determines the most efficient way to operate. In addition, it lets you
optimize your savings when using intelligent control strategies, such as chilled-water reset. Adaptive
Capacity Control logic also accommodates the characteristics of the refrigerant used in the chiller—
today and tomorrow.

Reduced noise levels

Traditional centrifugal chillers can generate a substantial amount of objectionable noise, but the
YORK YK chiller is equipped with the innovative OptiSound™ Control, which reduces noise at off-
design conditions. The control continuously monitors the characteristics of the compressordischarge
gas and optimizes the diffuser spacing of the compressor to minimize noisy gas-flow disruptions from
the impeller. Chiller operation is also stabilized.
 Low ECWT:

One of YORK’s strengths against Carrier is that YORK chillers can make use of low entering
condenser water temperature down to ~50-55°F (51°F at ARI flow and evap temp). This
means reduced lift and reduced work for the compressor. YORK is able to do this because
their variable orifice opens up to allow enough refrigerant to flow from the condenser to the
evaporator to compensate for the lower pressure drop between shells.
Carrier’s functional equivalent to YORK’s variable orifice is the float-valve. With this they can
reach ECWT as low as 55°F. However, even at 55°F Carrier often has problems because
they
need a higher head/flow to provide sufficient refrigerant cooling for their hermetic motor.
Furthermore, their compressor is prone to surge at low head/lift conditions, which means that
they might need to use a head pressure control* valve to keep the head high, and thus they
would not be saving energy from slowing down the compressor.
 

 
 YORK® OPTISPEED™
VARIABLE-SPEED DRIVE

Don’t get caught

in the chiller speed trap
Slow down and cut
energy use by 30%
1.3

1.1
Reduce energy costs Constant S
Energy is the number-one issue facing centrifugal-chiller
Variable S
owners and specifiers. Even the most efficient constant-speed
0.9

kW/ ton
chiller consumes a significant amount of energy.

���������
This graph shows typical energy savings when an OptiSpeed drive
is installed on a constant-speed chiller.
Now you can reduce your energy costs by adding0.7a YORK®
OptiSpeed™ variable-speed drive, manufactured by Johnson
Controls, to your new or existing chiller. The result:
0.5
an average
annual energy savings of 30%. These savings are possible
because no constant-speed chiller, not even a high-efficiency
model, can match the performance of an OptiSpeed 0.3 drive
under real-world operating conditions. 100 80 60
Loa
The OptiSpeed variable-speed drive was specifically
developed for commercial air-conditioning applications.
No one matches Johnson Controls experience in the
application of variable-speed-drive technology to chillers.
Since pioneering the concept in 1978, Johnson Controls
has installed more variable-speed drive chillers than all
other chiller manufacturers combined. So, the success of
the OptiSpeed variable-speed drive is not based just on
theoretical test findings, but real-world operating conditions.

Johnson Controls offers not only the most experience of

any manufacturer, but also the widest application range.
OptiSpeed drives are available up to 5,500 TR at 13,300 V.

Superior energy efficiency

To understand how a chiller equipped with an OptiSpeed
drive can offer up to 30% lower energy costs, consider the
Pre-rotation vanes cause frictional losses as they close.
two factors that affect chiller energy consumption: load and
entering-condenser-water temperature.

A reduction in either of these factors will save energy.

However, the method by which the chiller is controlled has
a major impact on the magnitude of these savings.

A constant-speed chiller reacts to lower load or lower

entering-condenser-water temperature by closing its pre-
rotation vanes (PRVs), which throttle the refrigerant flow and
save some energy. However, as the vanes continue to close,
they create frictional losses, which hurt the chiller’s efficiency
and limits its energy-saving capability.

On the other hand, an OptiSpeed drive controls compressor

capacity primarily by adjusting its speed. The use of PRVs is
minimal, so there are less frictional losses. The result is lower
energy consumption.

2
Savings on multiple-chiller plants, too
OptiSpeed drives will save in both single-chiller installations and
multiple-chiller installations. In multiple-chiller installations,
cycling chillers off as the building load falls will result in
higher loads on the remaining chillers. This would seem to
reduce the opportunity for OptiSpeed drives to save energy.

However, even though chiller loads remain high, entering-

condenser-water temperature has most likely fallen. And,
reductions in entering-condenser-water-temperature offer
a far greater potential to enhance chiller efficiency than load
reductions do. Therefore, OptiSpeed drives will deliver major
energy savings in multiple-chiller plants, too.

OptiSpeed
Variable-Speed Drive

Multiple-chiller plants benefit from OptiSpeed drives.

Patented Adaptive Capacity maximizes energy savings by using its

operating experience. Chilled Water Temp.
Optimum
Temp. Setpoint Motor Speed
Evap./Cond. Pressure
Smart control for peak performance PRV Position
With its Adaptive Capacity Control, theMotor
Actual OptiSpeed
Speed drive learns Optimum
PRV Position
and remembers optimum speeds for various load and water-
temperature combinations — a task that no standard variable-
speed drive can accomplish. The end result? Fine-tuned
chiller operation which provides maximum energy savings.

Improved power factor lowers energy costs

Power factor is an index of how effectively your building
uses electricity. A low power factor can translate into higher
utility bills, because utilities often charge a premium if the
usage profile doesn’t meet their minimum requirements.
A high power factor indicates efficient utilization of electrical Unlike constant-speed chillers, a variable-speed chiller
maintains a stable power factor.
power. By adding an OptiSpeed drive with a power factor
in the area of 0.95 or better throughout its entire operating
range, most utility requirements are met.

3
OptiSpeed drive delivers
more than energy savings

Better electrical protection

Electro-mechanical starters use a full-speed start, with inrush
currents reaching as high as 250% of full-load amps. This
electrical inrush causes a tremendous heat build-up,
and flexing at critical points in the motor windings. Over time,
this repeated flexing can damage the winding insulation and
eventually cause motor failure. For this reason, a 30-minute
cool-down period is mandatory before a constant-speed
centrifugal chiller can be restarted.

By replacing the electro-mechanical starter with an OptiSpeed

The pole assemblies of the OptiSpeed drive start the chiller
motor gently.
drive, the chiller’s motor starts more slowly. It never draws
more than 100% of its full-load amps. Motor heat is reduced,
as is the likelihood of electrical shorts and burn-outs.
As proof, chillers controlled by an OptiSpeed drive can
be restarted in as little as 3 minutes, making quick-turn,
emergency restarts possible.

For further electrical protection, the OptiSpeed drive is

���
designed to reduce electric-current harmonic distortion, which
can damage other equipment in the building. As a���standard, an
OptiSpeed drive reduces distortion to 26%, compared to 80%

������������������
distortion caused by competitive drives. An available
��� harmonic
filter can reduce distortion to less than 4%, which meets������������������
IEEE
519-92 and is a 95% improvement over competitive ���drives.

���
Longer equipment life ���������������
While electrical safeguards protect the electrical components
�
of the chiller, the mechanical components benefit from � lower �� ��
operational speeds. Since 99% of operating hours are at less
than full-speed, moving parts experience less component-
Compared to electro-mechanical starters, OptiSpeed drives
reduce current inrush and motor wear.
wear, resulting in greater reliability and longer life.

4
Easier maintenance and repair
When it’s time for maintenance, one person can maintain
the OptiSpeed drive because it features a modular design.
If repairs are necessary, the OptiSpeed drive can be serviced
on-site, without being shipped to a repair facility, reducing
chiller down-time. In the unlikely event of an unexpected
shut-down, the YORK OptiView™ control center provides
troubleshooting messages and shut-down data, enabling
quick problem identification.

Additionally, maintenance is made easier by single-source

responsibility. Factory-trained service personnel service the
chiller and all components, including the control systems.

Smaller footprint
Low-voltage OptiSpeed drives are mounted directly on the
The OptiView™ control center provides detailed information on
chiller, which saves valuable mechanical room floor space. the operation of the OptiSpeed drive.

Medium-voltage drives have the smallest footprint in the

industry. The modular cabinet design breaks down for ease
of installation, then bolts together in place.

Lower noise levels

On a centrifugal compressor, slower speed means less noise.
With an OptiSpeed drive, 99% of operating hours are spent
at slower speeds, dropping noise levels as much as 10 decibels.

Lower auxiliary-component costs

In addition to cutting energy costs, OptiSpeed drives reduce
auxiliary-component costs. Their high power factor eliminates
the need for a power-factor-correction capacitor. And, in
applications that require a backup generator, OptiSpeed
drives let you specify a smaller generator because the The medium-voltage OptiSpeed drives fit back into the space
chiller requires 60% lower start-up amps. once occupied by solid-state starters.

5
Cost-effective in both
new and retrofit applications

Available as a retrofit
If you currently own a constant-speed centrifugal chiller,
retrofitting with a YORK OptiSpeed variable-speed drive
will dramatically reduce your energy costs. It’s especially
cost-effective when combined with a refrigerant conversion
or driveline retrofit. You’ll benefit from energy savings and
address the refrigerant issue at the same time. If you find
yourself having to replace your starter, the OptiSpeed drive
is the perfect solution, because you get a starter that’s far
superior to conventional types.

Rapid payback
By accruing off-design energy savings during nearly 99%
of your chiller’s operating season, the payback for your
OptiSpeed drive will be very fast. In many instances, payback
can come in as little as one to three years. Plus, you’ll realize
substantial energy savings, month after month and year after
year, over your chiller’s entire life.
An OptiSpeed drive is the single largest energy-saving retrofit you
can apply to your chiller plant.
A computer analysis shows actual savings
To see how an OptiSpeed variable-speed drive will pay off
in your application, call your Johnson Controls representative
today. An advanced computer analysis is available to show
how much an OptiSpeed drive can reduce your energy bills.

©2008 Johnson Controls, Inc. P.O. Box 423, Milwaukee, WI 53201 Printed in USA PUBL-5199 (508)
www.johnsoncontrols.com Supersedes 160.07-SG1 (706)
YORK honored with EPA Climate Protection Award
®

YORK® was honored with a 2005
Climate Protection Award from
the U.S. Environmental protection
Agency (EPA). The award recog-
nizes YORK for its pioneering
work and ongoing development
of electronic variable-speed-drive
(VSD) technology and its dramatic
energy-saving capability when
applied to chillers.
YORK was the first manufacturer
to introduce and actively promote
the application of VSD technology
for chillers. YORK applied its first
VSD to a chiller in 1979 and
has since installed over 5,000
VSDs worldwide.
Environmental Impact
The application of variable-speed
drive typically will reduce annual
energy consumption of a chiller
by 15– 30%, based on total
kWh consumed per year. It has
been established that the largest
contribution to green-house gas
emissions from properly maintained
chillers is the indirect effect due to
electricity consumption.
Since 1979, YORK has
installed over 5,000
VSDs worldwide
Annual energy savings of 15– 30%
mean a significant reduction in CO2
emissions, resulting in substantial
climate protection. Since YORK
pioneered the technology, the
HVAC industry has provided
over 6,000 chillers with variable-
speed drives, representing an
estimated reduction in total CO2
emissions of over 400,000 tons
per year. According to the U.S.
Climate Technology Cooperation
Gateway’s website calculator, this is
approximately equivalent to 78,544
passenger cars not being driven
for one year or the electricity use
of 46,582 homes. This technology,
combined with YORK's use of
zero-ozone-depletion-potential
HFC-134a refrigerant, provides the
most efficient and environmentally
friendly chillers available.
Status of VSD
Chiller Technology
Today, YORK is still leading the
way in VSD application innovation.
In 2004, YORK introduced an
air-cooled screw chiller equipped
with VSD.
YORK also offers VSDs for retrofit
for many name-brand chillers.
For more information on YORK
VSDs, or to locate your nearest
office, go to www.york.com, or
call 800-861-1001.

A significant percentage of new centrifugal chillers from all manu- YORK’s Latitude™ chillers are the first air-cooled screw chillers
facturers are equipped with VSD devices, including over 70% of available with VSD. They are the highest efficiency air-cooled
YORK MAXE™ centrifugal chillers in the applicable size range. chillers in the world.

P.O. Box 1592, York, Pennsylvania USA 17405-1592 Tele. 800-861-1001 Subject to change without notice. Printed in USA
© 2005 YORK International Corporation www.york.com ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Form 160.00-PM30(0705)