Cooling Controls

HydroThrift Debuts Advanced Cooling System Control Panel

By Troy Dreier, Chiller & Cooling Best Practices Magazine

The customers wanted to be able to monitor their system from a control room. They wanted to be able to see the overall view of how the system was running. The bigger thing on the backend – especially for us from an engineering perspective – was being able to do better troubleshooting and helping them without the need to be onsite.

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Cooling System Pressure Control for Efficiency and Process Stability

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

Controlling cooling water flow is a critical element of high-performance cooling systems. Fortunately, pressure is a straightforward measurement that can be used as a cost-effective control input for flow control systems. Proper interpretation of pressure readings is required for accurate control at desired rates. This article covers pressure reading methods, control strategies and practical tips.
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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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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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Holistic Controls for Superior Cooling Systems Efficiency, Part 2

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

This article explores the distinction between standard system controls and holistic controls for highly efficient process cooling systems. Examples of high performance controls features and implementations are provided, and screening questions are listed for initial investigation of existing system and potential new systems.
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Holistic Controls for Superior Cooling System Efficiency, Part 1

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

Process cooling systems are mandatory components of the production infrastructure in many plants. System efficiency is second only to operational performance (i.e. meeting the process requirements) in the design and operation of these systems, and many companies go to great lengths to attain system efficiency.  Many times, unfortunately, the actual system performance is well below the hoped for efficiency target.
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Vital Signs: Critical Instrumentation for Cooling System Health

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

This article will discuss the instrumentation typically found in cooling systems and other plant utility systems, what other instruments and gauges should be used, how the instrumentation should be used, and good maintenance practices for instrumentation.
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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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Advancing Standards and Compressor Technologies Can Capture More Part-load Energy Savings

By Ben Majerus, Danfoss

In recent years, the HVAC industry has enlarged its vision from focusing on equipment efficiency measured in terms of ratings points at specific conditions to include a whole building perspective that uses models of year-long, real-world conditions. Accordingly, energy standards have adopted new rating methods to evaluate equipment efficiency during part-load operation. In Part 1 of this two-part article series we examined how these standards are evolving.
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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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Optimize Chillers with an Automatic Entering Condenser Water Temperature Reset Strategy

By Subodh Chaudhari, E.I.T, CEM, CPEnMS, and Senthil Kumar, CEM, Hudson Technologies

The chilled water is generated in the central plant and then transported through a piping network to cooling coils (air handlers), or to point of end-use in processes. Facility directors and energy managers are always chasing multiple goals - satisfying all the customers, maintaining a high-level of reliability and minimizing energy spends with varying demand and weather. Therefore, many modern plants employ a good chiller optimization package such as Hudson Technologies’ SMARTenergy OPS® in conjunction with Building Automation Systems (BAS) to optimize the chiller plants.
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VSD Chillers Deliver Energy Savings Under Real World Operation

By Fred Berry, Johnson Controls

Manufacturers are under continual pressure to control costs without affecting operations or worker comfort and safety. Because energy ranks as one of the largest operating expenses, improving energy efficiency of mechanical cooling systems is one of the best ways to reduce operating costs. In a typical water-cooled chiller plant, the chiller itself accounts for most of the energy consumption. That’s why improving chiller efficiency is critical to controlling operating costs.
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Understanding Intelligent Process Cooling

By Frigel Corporation

Intelligent process cooling describes an approach to cooling in beverage production and packaging that moves beyond evaporative cooling towers and the use of traditional central chiller systems that rely on ammonia as a refrigerant. Unlike traditional methods, it intelligently matches process cooling systems to individual cooling loads without an evaporative process or the use of ammonia to gain verifiably better results in energy efficiency, water use, and safety.
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Chrysler Reduces Annual Cooling Costs by 28% and Earns $200,000 DTE Energy Rebate

By Mike Flaherty, General Manager, tekWorx, LLC

Chrysler’s Technology Center (CTC), located in Auburn Hills, MI, is home to some fourteen thousand employees responsible for keeping the automotive giant in motion. Completed in 1991, the complex is essentially a small city, encompassing 5.3 million square feet situated on over 500 acres. In addition to corporate offices, the facility houses a full laboratory level of various wind tunnels with thermal testing capabilities, a 1.8-mile evaluation road, a noise/vibration facility, an electromagnetic compatibility center, an environmental test center (able to create rain, snow and extreme temperatures), and a pilot production plant.
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Central Plant Optimization Yields Up to 25% Efficiency Improvement for Pepco Energy Services’ Chiller Plant

By Tus Sasser, The Tustin Group

Pepco Energy Services’ (PES) Midtown Thermal Control Center (MTCC) in Atlantic City, New Jersey, sells chilled water and steam to multiple Atlantic City casinos, Boardwalk Hall and Pier Shops. PES is also responsible for stand-alone remote heating and cooling plants for the Atlantic City’s major casino’s as well as the Atlantic City Convention Center including its 2.4 Mw solar array.
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