Absorption Chillers
Applications
- Large Tonnage Space Cooling
- Industrial Process Cooling
- Cogen Waste Heat utilization
- Waste-to-Energy utilization
Overview
With the exception of very high cost electric areas, absorption chillers cost more to operate than electric chillers. They also cost about twice as much to purchase. Therefore, a reason other than average electric cost is needed to justify a base-loaded absorption system. Economics are more favorable for hybrid systems. Hybrid systems combine absorption chillers for use during on-peak electric hours and electric chillers for base load operation.
Steam-fired absorption is a good application where there is a low cost of steam such as a cogen or waste energy plant. Direct-fired natural gas units are used in hybrid and high-cost electricity areas. Absorption chillers do NOT use a CFC or HCFC refrigerant; therefore, some users purchase absorption chillers for this environmental advantage. Larger tonnages (above 500 tons) have a more favorable first cost when compared to electric technologies. Therefore, larger tonnage units are more common for absorption applications. They may also be used in places like campuses with a central steam loop and not enough electrical power distribution to run decentralize electric chillers. This may be the case where buildings either did not have chillers or used older single-effect absorption units and have upgraded to double-effect or direct fired absorption technology.
No comments:
Post a Comment