An innovative Hybrid Chiller combining a chiller and an Air-Blast fluid cooler provides a major plastics facility in Quebec with extraordinary water and energy savings.

The customer’s initial requirement called for most of the load to be chilled water type cooling as the temperature requirement was stated to be within the range of 7º to 25º C. After a thorough review and understanding of customer’s process, it was suggested to the client that most of the load could successfully operate at higher supply temperatures. The customer approached the process equipment supplier with this idea and they agreed to make a few small (no-charge) modifications to accommodate the suggestion. This simple suggestion resulted in the majority of the load being satisfied with ambient produced cooling rather than high horsepower mechanical cooling. The result was now only 22% of the load would require a chiller supplying mechanical cooling at 7ºC while the balance (78%) could be satisfied with cooling at 30º to 35ºC.

The Challenge

The most energy efficient solution would be to utilise ambient based cooling equipment and the most environmentally friendly solution would be a Hybrid Chiller incorporating a fluid cooler that consumes no water (there is no need to treat the inlet air with a misting system to achieve temperature).  Also, there would be no evaporative cooling requiring water make-up as required by an evaporative cooler, or a need for introducing water for temperature trimming, nor will the system require the constant attention of chemical treatment. However, such a system would not be able to attain and maintain the lower temperature requirement during the hotter summer months.  To meet the 7°C requirement a chiller would have to be used in conjunction with the fluid cooler.

The Solution

Berg designed a Hybrid Chiller system that integrates both the Air-Blast cooler and a chiller. The system is equipped with Berg’s advanced system manager controls that automatically allows for a seamless transfer between the Air-Blast cooler and the chiller. The Air-Blast cooler will satisfy all of the process demands for most of the year, even taking advantage of a cooler spring and fall nights. The chiller takes over to supply the portion of the process that requires 7°C when ambient temperature rises above 2°C.

Savings and Payback

Applying the Berg Hybrid Chiller system, the customer stands to save approximately $100,000 in annual operational costs due to energy, municipal water usage and chemical treatment savings. The system payback is less than two years and the customer will continue to enjoy these savings for many years to come providing them with a competitive advantage.

About Berg Chilling Systems Inc.

Berg Chilling Systems designs, manufactures, installs and services industrial thermal process control systems for a broad range of industries and specialized applications around the world. Over the past 40 years, we have pumped, chilled, frozen and heated our way to the forefront of global thermal management solutions.

Our product range is as diverse as the markets and industries we serve. From our Toronto based facility, we custom design, manufacture, test and integrate a wide range of skid mounted industrial process refrigeration equipment, mechanical packages and fluid pumping systems for ease of installation and commissioning.