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COMPARISON OF CENTRAL AND PORTABLE PROCESS WATER CHILLERS

Industrial water chillers are available as PORTABLE or CENTRAL.
This FYI compares some of the differences between portable chillers and central chillers.

Portable and central liquid chillers have their place in the heat transfer market.

But if selected improperly or expected to perform beyond design specifications, then issues will arise along with operator frustration.

Although Central and Portable liquid process chillers are refrigeration devices for process cooling and heat transfer, they are two different breeds.

PORTABLE liquid chillers are designed to cool one use point.

CENTRAL chillers are designed to provide cooling water to an entire facility and servicing multiple use points.

chiller

Since the objectives of these chillers are radically different, they therefore, are different. In some cases portable chillers can be ‘modified’ with some standard options to act as a central chiller. However, the portable chiller does not and will not provide all the benefits of a central chiller.

This comparison pertains to Advantage Engineering Maximum portable chillers and Titan central chillers.

SUBJECTS

REFRIGERANT CIRCUITS:
Quantity of refrigeration circuits
Expandability:
Capacity staging:
Redundancy (i.e. backup):
Air discharge (air condensed units):

FLUID COOLANT:
Quantity of use points (typical):
Reservoir capacity:
Fluid flywheel:
Thermal mass:
Dedicated evaporator pump:
Dedicated process pump:
Low flow bypass:
Pump Redundancy (i.e. backup):
Larger pumping capability:
Drain back prevention:

INSTRUMENTATION:
Controller:
Redundancy (i.e. back up):

INSTALLATION REQUIREMENTS:

PORTABLE CHILLERS


Single
None
50%
None:
Typically into Plant (1)


Single
Small
Little, if any
Little, if any
No
No
Required
None
Limited
Required (2)


Single Circuit Control
None

Relative very little

CENTRAL CHILLERS


Multiple
Yes
15% : in some cases
Yes
Outdoors (4)


Multiple
Large
Large
Large
Yes
Yes
Not Needed (5)
Yes
Relative Limited
Vacuum Breakers


Multiple Circuit Control
Yes

A Lot

Notes. 1. A portable chiller can utilize an outdoor condenser also in lieu of fans or a blower. 2. Overhead piping kit required. 3. Installation costs for a portable chiller could be the same as a central chiller is used as a central chiller with multiple use points. 4. Discharge via outdoor condenser. 5. Pump redundancy provided by standard evaporator pump.

For more information about water chiller refrigerant line sizing for remote air-cooled condensers call the Advantage Sales Department at 317-887-0729.

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