Chiller is a heat transfer device that uses refrigeration to remove heat from the load and transfer the heat to the environment. Chillers are used in several industries, for example, in plastics processing and many more industries that require lower than the average temperature.

Chillers work on this continuous coolant regulation across the process. Coolant is pumped into the process to extract the heat out of the machinery and then comes back to the process for completing the whole cycle. Coolant performs two significant functions:

1. It captures the heat from process coolant
2. It transfers the captured heat to the environment.

What a Chiller consist of?
A chiller has four major parts. There appears a cyclic process revolving around these four parts to achieve the desired decrease in temperature. The four major components are:

1. Evaporator
2. Compressor
3. Condenser
4. Elevator

How does chiller work?
In the evaporator: the coolant flows over the bundle of tubes that surrounds the evaporator.
Then the coolant absorbs the heat from the water. Rising the temperature and making vapors.

These vapors then go into the compressor where they are compressed and pressurized. Then these vapors are pumped into the condenser. Where they condense and are elevated to the elevation valve from where the cycle again continues.

Types of Chiller:
As described above, the industrial water chillers circulate the cooling water in the whole process to remove heat. When the cooling water returns to the chiller, It transfers heat to the environment using an air-or water cooled condenser.

Based on the condenser functioning, there are two types of chillers:

1. Air-Cooled Chillers
2. Water-Cooled Chillers

Air-cooled chillers resemble the automobile radiators. They use air to cool the condenser, whereas the water-cooled condensers use water as the cooling medium for condensers.

Air-Cooled or Water-Cooled, which one?
Now, this is a question that can't be answered unconditionally. There are certain things and demands that are to be kept in mind before putting your money into a chiller.

If reducing the cost is the primary concern, water-cooled chillers may not be the best option for you. These are expensive and involve a high initial investment. Because of the expenses on both: a chiller and a circulating tower system. That is also going to require some additional setup, pumps, pipings and tanks. In addition to that, the water-cooling chillers consume a significant amount of water as well. Because the water is lost during evaporations and leakings. Whereas. The Air-cooled chiller has no requirements like these. And this makes it easy on the pocket because they require fewer components to set up and operate as well as less plumbing and architecture expenses

Meanwhile, speaking about the size, water-cooled chillers are preferred. Because; they don't occupy any ample space. Moreover, the humidity factor also plays an important role. If you want a humidity-free environment, you will go for the air-cooled chiller.

Where are these chillers used?
Chillers have evolved industrial life. Today almost in every industry, the chiller has its contributions in different senses. Either it is plastic industry, dyes, mineral water soda process, paper converting, plating and anodizing, lubrication and cooling, dairy, bakery, food products, cement processing, vacuum systems, or the air and gas cooling.

Chillers have their contributions everywhere.

Author's Bio: 

Oscar Shepherd is a Creative Graphics Designer & Digital Marketer by his profession. He also uses to write his opinions on different topics.