Chillers

Cleveland Thermal Modernizes Cooling Infrastructure for the Future

By Troy Dreier, Senior Editor, Compressed Air & Cooling Best Practices Magazine 

Corix Cleveland Thermal is modernizing its century-old district energy system with new chiller strategies, upgraded cooling towers and sustainable water management practices. This article explores how the utility optimizes seasonal chilled water production, recovers condensate for cooling tower makeup, and prepares for future growth with a more flexible, energy-efficient cooling infrastructure.

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Thought Leaders on System Optimization Past & Future

Edited by Troy Dreier, Senior Editor, Chiller & Cooling Best Practices Magazine

As the Best Practices Magazines celebrate their twentieth anniversary, we wanted to take a moment to reflect on the remarkable system efficiency gains achieved since our first issue. We also wanted to give subscribers a peek at what the next decades might bring. To do this, we asked a hand-selected list of original equipment manufacturers, independent compressed air system sales and service companies, manufacturing plants and independent system auditors to share their thoughts, highlighting the changes they’ve seen over the past 20 years, then predicting what the next 20 years will bring.
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Delta T Systems Creates a Custom Ambient Dew Point Solution

By Troy Dreier, Senior Editor, Compressed Air & Cooling Best Practices Magazine

A building materials manufacturer solved persistent dust buildup by using a custom chiller designed to operate below the ambient dew point, intentionally creating condensation on process equipment. This case study shows how Delta T Systems integrated ambient dew point sensors and variable speed drive (VSD) technology to optimize chilled water temperature, reduce cleanup time, and improve energy efficiency. The solution delivered measurable maintenance savings and became a scalable model for process cooling and chiller optimization across multiple facilities.
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Addressing Energy Challenges with Thermal Energy Storage

By Paul Valenta, Thermal Storage Product Manager, Trane

Thermal energy storage (TES) is a vital tool for managing energy consumption. By storing thermal energy for later use, TES systems help reduce peak demand on the power grid, lower energy costs and contribute to sustainability goals. This article explores how TES systems work, their economic benefits and their role in supporting a more resilient and sustainable energy infrastructure.
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CIS Engineers Central Utility Plants for Extreme Weather

By Roderick M. Smith, Publisher, and Troy Dreier, Senior Editor, Chiller & Cooling Best Practices

Chiller & Cooling Best Practices sat down with three of CIS’s officers, Mikel Bonano, Jr., CEO; Keith Earhart, Vice President, Engineered Sales and Strategic Accounts and Joseph Bonano, Louisiana Controls Manager; to discuss staying operational during extreme weather events, the benefits of two-stage centrifugal chiller impellers and a massive project CIS undertook for Tulane University.
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Heat Exchanger Problem Causes and Troubleshooting

By Clayton Penhallegon, Jr., P.E., Integrated Services Group

Machine cooling high temperature problems are unfortunately all-too common in industrial plants. While the initial suspect is always the heat exchanger, there are several other factors that can be the underlying cause. Important steps can be taken to minimize the potential for heat exchanger fouling, but when problems do occur, careful examination of the machine and the system can help identify the problem efficiently and with minimal wasted effort.
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Decarbonization Hits Close to Home for Johnson Controls

By Chiller & Cooling Best Practices Magazine

Johnson Controls’ most recent decarbonization project has gone right to the heart of its 2040 net-zero commitment – working with its own Norman, Oklahoma, manufacturing facility on a chilled water plant and compressed air system upgrade that is projected to nearly halve its greenhouse gas emissions.
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Why Use Modular Chillers?

By Mark R. Rogan, PE, CEM, REP, CBCP, GBE, Director of Product Management, ClimaCool Corporation

The initial reason the modular concept took hold was a frequent lack of space when it came time to replace a large chiller. Often, these chillers were installed in a confined mechanical room in the basement at the beginning of construction, and the building was then built around it. There was barely enough room to get people to the chiller for maintenance, let alone replacing the chiller itself. 
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Challenges and Benefits of Digital Optimization for Chiller Plants

By Terri Perrin and Kiran Waghmare Mech. Eng., MEng, Global Product Manager, Johnson Controls

Using a combination of predictive analysis and historical information helps companies make sound decisions relating to CUP operations. Ever-changing loads, weather and utility prices combine with hundreds of components that all impact energy efficiency. While previous strategies focused on individualized equipment efficiency and automation, CUP optimization considers the complete system. 
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Tank Applications in Central Cooling Systems Part 2 – Tankless Systems

By Clayton Penhallegon, Jr., P.E., Integrated Services Group

This article will be of particular interest to industrial system operators unfamiliar with tankless (primarily closed) systems who may be considering either installing new systems without tanks or removing existing open tanks.  The topics covered step through an understanding of tankless systems while also including tank system pointers and insights on converting systems with tanks into tankless systems. 
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Sustainable Stellantis Energy Center Halves HVAC Chilled Water Energy Costs

By Ryan Cowan, Engineering Manager, tekWorx

The Sterling Heights facility, producing jet engines for the U.S. Army, has undergone extensive overhauls and re-tooling in the last decade. In 2010, Stellantis announced it would invest nearly $850 million in a new state-of-the-art paint shop at the SHAP Site, as well as the installation of new machinery, tooling and material-handling equipment. The following year, the company added another $165 million to the investment to build a one million-square-foot body shop. 
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Plastics Processor Saves Big on Chilled Water Energy and Maintenance

By Clayton Penhallegon, Jr., P.E., Integrated Services Group

An Illinois protective packaging manufacturer was able to reduce their cooling costs by over 60% while also saving around $100,000 each year on system maintenance by replacing their old system with high-efficiency equipment and a streamlined hydronic design.  Helped by ComEd efficiency incentives, the plant captured these benefits through an under 2.4 year payback system upgrade project.
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Pro-Refrigeration Helps California Dairy with CO2 Chillers

By Tom Savas, Regional Key Account Manager, Danfoss

With the approaching HFC phasedown, the demand for environmentally friendly cooling systems is driving chiller manufacturers to innovate. Washington-based Pro-Refrigeration, Inc., a leading manufacturer and supplier of chillers for the industrial and beverage processing market, including the dairy, beer and wine industries, recognized an opportunity with CO2 chillers. 
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Oil-Free Magnetic Bearing Chiller Compressors Propel Energy Savings at the University of Cincinnati

By Danfoss

Like many universities across America, The University of Cincinnati had a major challenge having to operate aging central utility plants with older technology, reduced efficiencies and capacities, with chilled water equipment at the end of its service life. Even so, UC needed to maintain plant operations under diverse load conditions, including critical hospital utility demands that are currently expanding and in daily periods subject to energy tariff.
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Continuing Education at the Best Practices 2021 EXPO & Conference

By Roderick Smith, Publisher, Best Practices Magazines and EXPO

The EXPO & Conference focuses on “Optimizing On-site Utilities Powering Automation.” Experts from all over the world convened to discuss compressed air, pneumatics, motors and drives, vacuum, aeration blower and chiller/cooling and water treatment systems. Held November 2-4, 2021, this 3rd installment of the event continued to provide continuing education, certification and networking opportunities to equipment sales engineers, engineering firm and manufacturing plant personnel.
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Ice Storage or Chilled Water Storage? Which Is Right for the Job?

By Paul Valenta, Trane

A technology called, “cool storage” offers a reliable, cost-effective means of managing electricity costs while ultimately helping to limit greenhouse gas emissions. The technology allows facilities to take advantage of less costly electricity available at night and functionally save that energy for use at a later time. Cool storage achieves this performance by using ice or chilled water as a medium for storing and deploying energy.
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Three-pronged Approach Keeps Process Cooling System at 1.7 Million-Square-Foot Quad Printing Plant Running Smoothly

By Mike Grennier, Chiller & Cooling Best Practices Magazine

For the Production Support team at the expansive Quad printing plant in Sussex, Wis., there isn’t one way to manage the operation’s complex and elaborate process cooling system. Rather, the formula for success involves a three-pronged approach that includes carefully measuring and monitoring system performance, diligently and proactively maintaining equipment to ensure peak efficiencies, and investing in updated equipment based on sound decision making. 
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Modernization at Chicago Midway International Airport Central Heating and Refrigeration Plant

By Burns & McDonnell

Since its inception, MDW has seen growth in air travel. To handle the increased passenger volume and modernize the airport, a larger terminal went under construction in 2000 and was completed in 2004 as part of a terminal development program. The program also included a new Central Heating and Refrigeration Plant (CHRP), which was completed in 2000 to serve the increased cooling and heating needs of the new terminals. The CHRP was a separate contract from the terminal modernizations and was awarded using a third-party design build contract. Unicom Thermal Technologies (UTT) was awarded the project with Hill Mechanical Group (HMG) as its contractor. 
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Plant-Based Water Treatment at USFCTG Improves Sustainability & Uptime

By Chris Kent, Contributing Editor

For U.S. Flue-Cured Tobacco Growers, Inc. (USFCTG) sustainability is a guiding practice for tobacco production from seed to delivery. So when traditional chemical water treatment had proven problematic in air washers at its plant in Timberlake, North Carolina, the company thought outside the box for solutions to address a variety of issues while also supporting its sustainability goals. 
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The Impact of Water Utility Rates on Chiller Selection

By Judith M. Peters, PE LEED-AP BEMP, Daikin Applied Americas

Do water-cooled chiller plants still deliver lower utility bills? Today, many chiller plant energy analyses carefully account for energy costs, and even energy escalation rates – a factor that projects how fuel costs will increase over time, while ignoring water and wastewater costs associated with cooling towers. While highly effective at transferring heat, cooling towers consume millions of gallons of water each year through the process of evaporation, drift, and blowdown. With the rising cost of water and wastewater, this omission can result in an incomplete picture for the building owner.
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Chiller System Optimization Platform Saves Energy at University of Tulsa

By Hudson Technologies

The need to pay close attention to the university’s central chiller plant has always been a priority given the energy required to power the chillers, said Michael Bolien, Manager of Central Plant Operations, University of Tulsa. At TU, seven water-cooled chillers provide 7,000 tons of cooling capacity to all university facilities. “Over the past five years, TU has had a 17% increase in cooling load, based on the square footage of new buildings. Because our central chiller plant is our biggest energy user, optimizing its operations is our first line of defense,” said Bolien.
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Finding Hidden Energy Waste in Water-cooled Chillers with Monitoring and Data Analytics

By Kevin Quapp, PE and Greg Jimmie, ETC Group

Chillers are an essential component in many building Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) systems. They provide cooling to the building by working in tandem with pumps and cooling towers in a water-cooled chiller plant. Because of the chiller’s complexity and its role in cooling facilities, it is arguably the most important piece of equipment to maintain.
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Innovation Drives Sustainability Success at DENSO Manufacturing Tennessee Plant

By Chris Kent, Contributing Editor

Among key initiatives at DENSO’s Maryville, Tennessee, facility is the use of an innovative ice-storage system engineered to provide environmentally friendly comfort cooling to employees at the company’s main production facility. The system also allows Plant 101 to reduce cooling costs per ton by 44%, while providing a payback of less than four years. It also resulted in an annual carbon dioxide (CO2) reduction of 18,000 tons.
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Busting Four Myths About Absorption Cooling

By Rajesh Dixit, Johnson Controls

Absorption chillers have been around for more than 75 years, with several thousand chillers operating successfully all over the world today. Yet myths about cost, operation and performance surround this technology, particularly in North America. Look beyond the myths and you’ll discover absorption cooling technology can be efficient, cost-effective, flexible and reliable.
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Ensuring Reliable Process Cooling at Coppertail Brewing Co.

By Tony Hergert, nano-purification solutions

One of the biggest challenges brewers such as Coppertail face is maintaining the dedication to their brand’s mission and their loyal following, while expanding their reach and growing market share. That challenge means not compromising on ingredients and utilizing the best equipment available for the fermenting, brightening and packaging of their product. But, for any growing business, reliability, uptime and power costs must be quantified in order to maximize margins to make the business viable.
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