Selection Creiteria for Water-Cooled and Air-Cooled Condensers for Use in Water Chillers

• Industrial water chillers are available with a choice of two types of refrigerant condensers: Water-Cooled or Air-Cooled.
• It is important to choose the right type of condensing medium for the environment the water chiller will operate in. Ill suited condensers may affect process cooling and thus affect production quality.
• Refrigerant condensers are necessary to remove latent heat from the high pressure refrigerant gas. This heat is introduced by the compressor.
• The condenser is an heat exchanger where refrigerant gas flows on one side and the condensing medium (air or water) flows on the other side.
• The latent heat from the refrigerant gas is transferred to the condensing medium.
• As the heat is transferred to the condensing medium, the refrigerant gas cools and “condenses” into a liquid.
• Low temperature liquid refrigerant is required to chill the process water.
• A basic example is where the facilities that do not have adequate water supplies from tower or city water supplies will find that an air-Cooled condenser is better suited than a water-cooled condenser because an air-cooled condenser does not require an external water supply.
• The condenser types are:
• Water-Cooled
• These condensers use a tube and shell heat exchanger where plant waster circulates on one side and refrigerant on the other.
• Air-Cooled
• These condensers use a fined tubed heat exchanger and motor driven fans or centrifugal blowers to move air through the condenser.
• Selection criteria are listed below as well as the Advantages and Disadvantage of each condenser type.
• Advantage can help with condenser selection and recommend if an air-cooled or water-cooled condenser is best suited for your industrial environment.

• Select a Water-Cooled Condenser ... If:
• 
• Adequate water supplies are available from tower, city or well sources.
• Water supply is of good quality.
• Heat recovery is not practical or unimportant.
• Plant ambient temperatures consistently exceed 95°F.
• Ambient air is polluted with large dust and dirt particles.
• ADVANTAGE & DISADVANTAGES
• Offer lower capital investment.
• Operates more efficiently on hot summer days.
• Easier to operate.
• Does not offer summer ventilation.

• Select An Air-Cooled Condenser ... When:
• 
• Adequate water supply not available from tower or well sources.
• Water supply is not of good quality.
• Heat recovery is practical and important.
• Plant ambient temperature will not consistently 95°F.
• Ambient air is not polluted with large dust and dirt particles.
• ADVANTAGE & DISADVANTAGES
• Somewhat more costly to purchase and operate.
• Gives less cooling on hot summer days.
• Consumes more electricity.
• Offers summer ventilation and winter supplement heating.

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