The Differences Between Air-cooled Chiller and Water-cooled Chiller

What is the differences Between Air cooled chiller and water cooled chiller?  how to choose a suitable model of water chiller?

Let's try to make it clear.

In the refrigeration circle, compressed refrigerant is in a high temperature and high pressure state.  the refrigerant needs to be cooled before entering the next refrigeration cycle. There are two cooling methods: air cooling and water cooling.

As a result, according to the different cooling methods for the refrigerant, we divide chiller into two type,  air-cooled chillers and water-cooled chillers.

(Air-cooled water chiller diagram)

(Water-cooled water chiller diagram)

At the same time, due to the different cooling methods, the corresponding heat exchanger (condenser) structure are also different.

The radiator of an air-cooled chiller is called as finned condenser, which is in the form of a copper tube wrapped by a thin sheet of aluminum.

( finned condenser)

The radiator of a water-cooled chiller is called as shell and tube condenser. The inside is a two-layer structure, one is called the shell layer and the other is called the tube layer. The refrigerant goes through the shell layer, and the cooling water goes through the tube layer, which is also cooled by the heat exchange between the copper tube and the water.

( shell and tube condenser)

The heat dissipation of Air-cooled chiller is completed by its own installed fan and air exchanger. no additional equipment is required. It is easy to install, easy to move, and suitable for occasions where lack water.

Water-cooled chillers need to install additional auxiliary equipment-cooling towers, water pumps and corresponding water pipes to achieve heat exchange. Compared with air-cooled chillers, installation is complicated.

However, since the air-cooled machine relies on the fan and air flow to dissipate heat, it has higher requirements for the surrounding environment such as ventilation, humidity, and temperature.

but compared with air-cooled chillers, water-cooled chillers possess the advantages of, more smoothly running, less cooling loss,  easy to return oil, heat transfer tubes are not prone to freeze cracks, and have high energy efficiency, etc.

But water-cooled chillers occupy a large area, and the equipment cost is higher than that of air-cooled chillers.

When choosing a chiller, we must comprehensively consider our own needs and objective environmental factors, choose the appropriate type, and then select the appropriate model of chiller based on the cooling capacity.

For further Information, Please click to leave your message, we will contact you in the earliest time.