In larger buildings and particularly in multi-story buildings,
a split-system approach of air conditioning begins to run
into problems. Either the distance between the condenser
and the air handler becomes long enough to cause lubrication
difficulties in the compressor, or the amount of duct work
and the length of such ducts becomes impractical. At this
point, it is time to think about a chilled-water system.
In
a chilled-water system, the entire air conditioner lies
on the roof or behind the building. It cools water to between
40 and 45 F (4.4 and 7.2 C) and this chilled water is then
piped throughout the building and connected to terminals
(fan-coils or air handlers) as needed.
There is no practical limit to the length of a chilled-water
pipe if it is well-insulated.Chilled water systems provide
cooling for the most of existing commercial and industrial
facilities worldwide and often account for a major portion
of the energy consumed. New technology can be applied to
reduce this cost by more than half. Subjects covered in
this site include system types, hydraulic basics, energy
saving options derived from VSD applications and other equipment
related to chilled water systems.
