With the variation of chillers like glycol and water chiller using different, modern technology that assists the products to be stored in the protective cold environment. With the advent of the air-cooled chiller system that is quite efficient. The purpose of a chiller system is to absorb the heat from the liquid using one of the many methods available. This liquid is cooled in an efficient manner and recycled back into the system. This type of system has several applications like in an air conditioning system, industrial chiller, etc. This article explains the difference between a glycol chiller and a water-cooled one.
Benefits of using Glycol Chillers
A Glycol chiller makes use of glycol-based coolants which can be either ethylene glycol or propylene glycol. They have similar physical properties but it is not advisable to mix them. It has many useful properties like it is resistant to corrosion and excellent antifreeze.
It can offer a lower freezing point than water which works to its advantage. For example, the freezing point of water is 0 degrees Celsius while glycol can change this to -12.8. This can be lowered further by changing the ratio of the mixture. A lower freezing point is highly beneficial for a chiller system since it is then possible to make the temperature extremely low without worrying about freezing the liquid and obstructing the circulation of the coolant. Thus, this can improve its efficiency.
This type of chiller system consists of a refrigeration unit and a tubing container with a mix of glycol & water. This mixture is used as the coolant for the chiller system. The chilled fluid flows from the refrigeration unit into the thermal exchanger via a pipe. The aim is to ensure the chiller fluid absorbs the heat and is returned to the refrigeration unit once again. This process repeats to ensure the chiller system is efficient.
Benefits of using Water Cooled Chillers
The basis of a water chiller is the transmission of heat between various fluid and solid mediums. It can either absorb the heat or implement vapour compression. This type of system includes a refrigeration unit as well as a piping system that helps circulate the chilled coolant. There are many ways of implementing this type of chiller system. For example, chilled water is used to cool an air conditioning unit. It helps lower the temperature efficiently by simply pumping water to the location of which needs cooling.
This type of system will generally be a tube-in-tube, tube-in-shell, or plate-type heat exchanger where water is used as the cooling source. This does not include direct contact but includes the passage of chilled water and refrigerant flowing in different passageways where the heat is exchanged. Cool water is very effective when it comes to absorbing heat.
The Verdict
The type of chiller you need depends a great deal on the application and how you wish to use it. However, there are many advantages to using a glycol chiller. Glycol is essentially a water-miscible coolant that has the perfect set of properties when it comes to using for heat or cool transfer applications. It is more efficient when it comes to transferring heat than simple water. The fact that it can be mixed with water is an added advantage. There are two different types of glycol, propylene is used for food products while ethylene for industrial applications. The fact that the boiling point and freezing point of the glycol mix can be modified by changing the ratio.