We know that HVAC systems are often behind the largest energy costs of any building, often burning 30–50% or more of the building’s total energy consumption. On top of that, many chillers are consuming 30% more energy than necessary due to operational inefficiencies. That’s why chillers have become the most critical component to ensure any building’s efficiency. Not only do they consume the most energy, but they also have the biggest impact on the budget when things go wrong.
Therefore, most of the HVAC industry has even taken some of the first steps to optimize the efficiency of your cooling system. Taking preventive measures like sealing the building envelope, utilizing a building energy management system, and frequent tube cleaning ensure smooth chiller operations. But when looking for energy-saving opportunities in an existing chiller or plant, you must have to look deeper than the chiller itself.
Like other components of HVAC systems, chillers also operate more efficiently through proper ongoing maintenance. Many organizations have recognized this value and taken steps as part of their day-to-day facility management best practices. However, It’s more important to properly manage all these components while ensuring they work together throughout the year to achieve the greatest savings. So the question is, how to effectively manage Chillers, regular maintenance with automatic tube cleanings and energy efficiency all at the same time?
As we know, fouling in condenser tubes is the main reason behind the loss in chiller efficiency. In fact, it’s not very uncommon that most of the chillers appear to be in working order but operate at elevated fouling factors due to fouling in tubes — causing compressor power consumption to increase by 15% or more. Chiller operators also recognize the impacts condenser tube fouling has on chiller efficiency, and a layer of buildup as thin as 0.6mm can reduce condenser efficiency by 20%.
However, chiller maintenance has advanced significantly in recent times, due to new developments in centrifugal chillers and new automatic monitoring technologies. As a result of automatic cleaning and monitoring, the HVAC industry has been moving toward automated maintenance programs and away from pre-determined schedule maintenance.
The simplest way to do this is to implement an Automatic Tube Cleaning Machine, which integrates the chiller and other major equipment in the plant and takes control of all operation. Automatic Tube Cleaning Machines work continuously to prevent scaling and fouling and the entire process is fully automated and controlled through a single programmable system or machine. These systems can also work with other solutions for monitoring and record functions to ensure the system is continuously operating optimally.
Automatic tube cleaning machines like ACCS have become essential for chiller management because it directly affects chiller efficiency more than any other single factor. These tube cleaning machines are designed to regularly clean your chiller heat exchanger and condenser tubes in the course of its normal operation. This means no standstill and production loss as a result of scheduled cleaning interruptions. Therefore, these automatic tube cleaning machines reduce the frequency of service visits and labour costs, thus saving you money.
