CHILLED WATER PLANT DESIGN

PART 2
CONDENSER WATER SYSTEMS
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 Agenda
• Today • Later
– CDW Pump / Pipe – CHW temps, flow rates,
Configurations pipe sizes
– Refrigerant Head – CDW temps, flow rates,
Pressure Control pipe sizes
– Minimum CT Flow Rates – Select Cooling Towers
– Water Side Economizers – Select Chillers
– Variable Speed Pumping – Pump Selection / Head
for Condenser Water Loss
– Optimize Controls

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 DEDICATED PUMPS
POSITIVES
• CUSTOMIZED PUMP SELECTION
 NON-UNIFORM CHILLER CAPACITY
NON-UNIFORM CONDENSER
PRESSURE DROP
NO BALANCE VALVES AT CHILLERS
• SIMPLE CONTROL
 NO AUTOMATED VALVES
 EASY TO RUN PUMP AFTER
SHUTDOWN
• NO “INTERACTION TRIPS”
 IF PUMP FAILS, NO MORE THAN ONE
CHILLER TRIPS
• LEAST EXPENSIVE OPTION

NEGATIVES
• REDUNDANCY

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HEADERED – AUTOMATIC
POSITIVES
• REDUNDANCY
 ANY PUMP CAN SERVE ANY
CHILLER
 EASY TO ADD A STANDBY
• ISOLATION VALVES CAN BE USED FOR
REFRIGERANT HEAD PRESSURE CONTROL
• EASY TO ADD AN ECONOMIZER

NEGATIVES
• PUMP TRIP CAN DROP MULTIPLE
CHILLERS
• RELATIVELY EXPENSIVE
• MORE COMPLEX CONTROLS
• COMPLEX ACCOMMODATING
DIFFERENT SIZES

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HEADERED – MANUAL
POSITIVES
• REDUNDANCY
 BUT REQUIRES ON SITE
OPERATOR
CAN ADD A STANDBY
• CAN ADD AN ECONOMIZER
• LOWER COST THAN FULLY
HEADERED

NEGATIVES
• MANUAL OPERATION

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TOWER CONFIGURATIONS

40° min

43° min

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CROSSFLOW TOWER

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 REFRIGERANT HEAD PRESSURE CONTROL
NEED COND REFRIGERANT P/T > EVAP REFRIGERANT P/T
• COLD WEATHER START UP
• SIMULTANEOUS ECONOMIZER
• TRANSITIONING FROM ECONOMIZER

IC
AT
CONDENSER REFRIGERANT P/T IS RELATED TO THE LEAVING CWT

M
HE
SC
OPTIONS TO MAINTAIN HIGH LEAVING CWT:

CT
• SLOW DOWN FAN OR CYCLE FAN OFF

ON
TYPICALLY NOT ENOUGH IN VERY COLD WEATHER

E
LV
• 3-WAY VALVE TO BYPASS COOLING TOWER

VA
 AIR ENTRAINMENT CONCERN ???

AY
3W
HYDRAULIC CHANGES TO SYSTEM

D
 MAINTAINS FULL OR NO FLOW TO TOWER

AD
• VARIABLE SPEED CONDENSER WATER PUMPS
• THROTTLE AUTOMATED CONTROL VALVE ON
CONDENSER INLET OR OUTLET

CONTROL VARIABLE:
• CONDENSER LWT
• REFRIGERANT PRESSURE (DIRECT FROM CHILLER CONTROL PANEL)
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MINIMUM TOWER FLOW
WHY NOT USE ALL THE TOWERS AT LOW LOAD?
• AIR CAN BYPASS WETTED FILL
• SCALING AT WETTED FILL BOUNDARY

LOW FLOW TOWER DESIGN WEIR DAM IN HOT WATER BASIN

• WEIR DAMS
• LOW FLOW NOZZLES

DISTRIBUTE WATER ACROSS FILL FACE

POSITIVES
• ELIMINATES AUTOMATED VALVES
• MOST EFFICIENT CHOICE
NEGATIVES
• TURNDOWN TO ⅔ OR ½ OF DESIGN
• (⅓ PROB NOT FEASIBLE)
• N/A FOR > 2 CELL GROUPS

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MINIMUM TOWER FLOW
TOWER INLET AUTOMATED VALVES
• DEPENDS ON BIG EQUALIZER
• NORMALLY UNBALANCED LEVEL

POSITIVES
• FULL FLOW TO FILL
• COMMON BASIN
• MAY ADDRESS BASIN HEATING
NEGATIVES
• COST/COMPLEXITY OF VALVES
• MAKE UP CONTROL

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 FLUME BOX

MINIMUM TOWER FLOW

TOWER INLET + OUTLET AUTOMATED VALVES
• SMALLER EQUALIZER
•BALANCED BASIN OPERATING LEVEL

POSITIVES
• TOLERATES A SMALL EQUALIZER
• MAY BE COST EFFECTIVE WHERE
EQUALIZER IS VERY LONG

NEGATIVES
• COST/COMPLEXITY OF VALVES
• TIMING OF VALVES
• BASIN HEATING MAY BE REQUIRED

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 35° DRY BULB /
18° WET BULB
WATER SIDE ECONOMIZER 48°
USE TOWER WATER TO PRODUCE CHILLED WATER
USE HEAT EXCHANGER TO PROTECT CLOSED LOOP

NON-INTEGRATED OR PARALLEL 43°

POSITIVES
• SHARE A CHILLED WATER PUMP

NEGATIVES 45°
• DIFFICULT TO OPERATE WITH CHILLERS
• NEED TO SHUT DOWN IF CHWS IS NOT
SUFFICIENTLY COLD
• CODES MAY NOT ALLOW
55°

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 45° DRY BULB /
23° WET BULB
WATER SIDE ECONOMIZER 51°
INTEGRATED OR SERIES – PRIMARY/SECONDARY

POSITIVES
• DON’T NEED TO SHUT DOWN IF CHWS IS NOT 48°
SUFFICIENTLY COLD
 MORE HOURS OR OPERATION
SHORTER PAYBACK
• HX ALWAYS “SEES” WARMEST WATER
49° 45°
NEGATIVES
• NEED A DEDICATED CHILLED WATER PUMP or
• NEED AN (ENERGY WASTING) DIVERTER VALVE
 FULL FLOW OR PART FLOW?
• MORE PIPING

55°

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WATER SIDE ECONOMIZER - INTEGRATED OR SERIES

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WATER SIDE ECONOMIZER
INTEGRATED OR SERIES – PRIMARY-ONLY

POSITIVES
• DON’T NEED TO SHUT DOWN IF CHWS IS NOT

/S
SUFFICIENTLY COLD

SP
 MORE HOURS OR OPERATION

SA
SHORTER PAYBACK
• HX ALWAYS “SEES” WARMEST WATER
IT
EF

NEGATIVES
EN

• NEED A DEDICATED CHILLED WATER PUMP or

EB

• NEED AN (ENERGY WASTING) DIVERTER VALVE

 FULL FLOW OR PART FLOW?
M

•MORE PIPING
SA

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DIVIDED HEADER FOR SIMULTANEOUS MECH COOLING + ECONOMIZER

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 VARIABLE SPEED CONDENSER
WATER PUMPS

“ALL VARIABLE SPEED PLANT”

• NOT NECESSARILY MORE EFFICIENT
• DIFFICULT TO SELECT CONTROL MODE
• DIFFICULT TO KNOW IF PLANT IS OPTIMIZED

REDUCING CONDENSER WATER FLOW AT PART LOAD,

WHILE HOLDING CDWS TEMP CONSTANT:
• REDUCES CDW PUMP ENERGY
• REDUCES CT FAN ENERGY
• INCREASES CHILLER ENERGY, SINCE CDWR RISES
 VS CHILLERS DEPEND ON LOWER CDWR AT
PART LOAD FOR MOST OF THEIR SAVINGS

OPTIMUM CONTROL STRATEGY DEPENDS ON:

• INSTALLED EQUIPMENT
• ANNUAL WEATHER PROFILE

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