Chiller Terms
Listed alphabetically
Air Cooled
An air cooled condensing coil. When refrigerant is in the evaporator it absorbs heat from the fluid being cooled. This heat is removed from the system in the condenser. In an air cooled system the refrigerant flows through a series of tubes and forced air blows over the tubes and cools the fluid.
Ambient Temperature
The surrounding temperature of a system.
Brazed Plate Heat Exchanger
The most efficient heat transfer device for the size. Manufactured by brazing multiple plates together and creating separate fluid paths between the plates. A brazed plate heat exchanger accommodates maximum surface area between two fluids to maximize heat transfer potential.
Chiller
A device used to remove heat from a fluid.
Compressor
A device that increases the pressure of the refrigerant.
Condenser
Removes heat from high pressure refrigerant until the refrigerant condenses into a liquid form.
Condenser Fan
The condenser fan is a fan that is coupled to the condensing coil. The fan forces air over the coils to remove heat from the refrigerant.
Cooling Capacity
The measured ability of a cooling system to remove heat.
COP — Coefficient of Performance
All refrigeration systems have a coefficient of performance. It is an indication of how efficiently your system is removing heat.
Evaporator
In the evaporator, heat is removed from the fluid being cooled and transferred to the refrigerant. The refrigerant enters the evaporator as a low pressure liquid and as it absorbs heat it evaporates and exits as a low pressure gas.
Expansion Valve
A type of throttling device used in refrigeration to create a pressure differential between the high side and the low side. There is a pin in the valve that moves based upon measured temperature and pressure exiting the evaporator. The TXV works to maintain a constant superheat.
Fill Port
Before running a chiller it needs to be full of fluid. The fill port is an opening that goes directly into the reservoir. This is where you add fluid to the reservoir.
Filter
Removes particles from the air.
Flow Rate
The amount of fluid moving through a system. On the refrigeration side it would be the mass of refrigerant flowing through the system. On the fluid side it would be the amount of fluid flowing through the pipes. Most people are interested in the flow rate on the fluid side and it is usually measured in gallons per minute or liters per minute.
Fluid Circuit
The circuit that moves process fluid through the chiller.
Fluid Level Indicator
Maintaining a proper fluid level is critical to processes and preventing damage to internal components. All North Slope Chillers come with a fluid level indicator that makes it easy to see how much fluid is in the reservoir.
Fluxwrap
A wrap placed around an object, internally circulating cooling fluid such as water and glycol. Used to transfer heat to or from an object.
Glycol
A chemical added to water to decrease the freezing point of the combined fluid. Also helps prevent bacterial growth and corrosion.
Heat Exchanger
A device that transfers energy (heat) from one space to another.
Heat Load
Amount of heat being removed from a space.
Pressure Gauge
The pressure gauge is tied into the fluid outlet of the chiller. During operation it will tell you what the pressure is exiting the chiller.
Pump
Moves the process fluid through the chiller. Chillers often use either fixed displacement or centrifugal pumps.
Refrigeration Circuit
The system that removes heat from the fluid.
Refrigerant
Chemicals that are used to transfer heat from one area to another during the refrigeration cycle, specifically designed to evaporate and condense at set temperatures and pressures.
Set Point
This is the desired temperature of the fluid exiting the chiller.
Submersed Copper Coil
A coil dropped directly into the fluid being cooled. Refrigerant can be pumped through the coil and use the coil as an evaporator, or a water-glycol mix can be pumped through the coil.
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