How To Enhance The Working Of Lab Water Chiller
Lab
water chillers are the large energy users in many
laboratories. It is necessary for the comprehensive maintenance of this
equipment to ensure their reliability and efficient operation.
Generally, there are five essential
areas that should be considered to maintain the proper working of a water
chiller.
Maintain
a Daily Operating Log
The performance of the chiller should be
analyzed daily and must be documented in a detailed log. It helps in comparison
of its efficiency and detection of problems, if any. This also helps the
operator to maintain a history of the operating condition and in detecting any
upcoming potential problems.
Keep
the Tubes Clean
Large chillers contain several miles of
tubing in their heat exchangers. The efficiency and performance of lab water chiller mainly depend on its
ability to transfer heat that begins with clean evaporator and condenser tubes.
But with time mud, algae, sludge accumulates on the water side of the heat
transfer surface that deteriorates the efficiency of the chiller. Therefore, it
is essential to keep these large surfaces clean in order to maintain its excellent
performance.
Check
for the Leakage
A leakage in the compressor allows air and
moisture (non-condensable) to enter the unit. This increases the condensing
temperature, thus reducing the efficiency of the system.
Air and moisture in the chiller also
lead to the corrosion of motor windings and bearings and rust inside the shell.
The rust particles called fines float in the vessels and get trapped inside the
heat-exchanger tubes thus decreasing the effectiveness of the lab water chiller.
The working can be checked by tracking
the purge-unit runtime and moisture content in the purge unit. A high value on
any of these points towards the leakage. To maintain its proper functioning get
it check by technician time to time. A technician detect the leakage by
monitoring the refrigerant charge level and evaporator pressure.
Maintenance
of Proper Water Treatment
Generally, water is used as a heat
transfer agent in chillers, so make sure that the water used is properly
treated and is free from any biological growth. A water system should be
chemically treated and provides with full-service maintenance to facilitate
water systems. For proper working get your water system check every three
months. You can also clean it using sand filters and side steam filters.
Analyze
Oil and Refrigerant
Regular analysis of oil and refrigerant
helps in detecting chiller contamination problem. A testing can be done using
spectrometric chemical analysis that detects contaminants like moisture, acids,
and metals. A pressure drop in oil analysis and a moisture content in oils
signals towards the problem in chiller and development of unacceptable
compressor wear.
A regular and technical testing of lab water chiller can prevent you from
heavy costs.
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