Types and mechanisms of cooling equipment in factories
Efficient cooling of manufacturing equipment and raw materials is an important process for maintaining factory productivity and stabilizing operations. It is important to understand the structure and principles of cooling equipment and use it appropriately according to its characteristics.
This time, we will provide an easy-to-understand explanation of the types and structures of cooling equipment.
1. Factory cooling equipment
We will introduce the following four types of cooling equipment used in factories.
- ・ Air-cooling type heat exchanger (air-cooled radiator)
- ・Water-cooled heat exchanger
- ·cooling tower
- Chiller
Each type of cooling equipment has very different characteristics, such as the cooling mechanism, purpose, and installation location. We will take a closer look at these in the next chapter.
2. Air-cooling type heat exchanger (air-cooled radiator)
A heat exchanger that uses the surrounding air as refrigerant is called an "Air-cooling type heat exchanger." Air-cooling type heat exchangers are also called air-cooled radiators, and are a type of cooling equipment that is often used in facilities that generate large amounts of heat, such as petroleum refineries and waste incineration plants.
The basic structure is a tube bundle (fins and tubes, etc.) and a fan. The fluid to be cooled is passed through the tube bundle, and air is blown through the tube bundle by a fan, using the temperature difference between the fluid and the air to cool it.
An example of a cooling piping system diagram when using an air-cooled radiator is shown below.
3. water cooled heat exchanger
A water-cooled heat exchanger is a heat exchanger designed to efficiently exchange heat between two fluid systems without mixing them. It is one of the most familiar cooling devices, and is used in cooling automobile engines, so you may have seen it many times.
The system works by circulating primary cooling water (chiller water, industrial water, etc.) below a certain temperature and secondary cooling water, which is the cooling target, inside the equipment and exchanging heat.
The cooling piping diagram when using a water-cooled heat exchanger is as follows:
4. Cooling tower
Next, we will explain cooling towers, which are often used in large factory facilities.
A cooling tower is a cooling device used for industrial water. It works by bringing circulating water into direct contact with outside air, and uses the "latent heat" generated when some of circulating water evaporates to cool the remaining circulating water.
"Latent heat" refers to the heat energy required when a substance changes. In the case of water, this refers to the heat of vaporization that accompanies evaporation and the heat of fusion that occurs when ice melts.
When circulating water comes into contact with the outside air and evaporates, it requires heat of vaporization, which takes heat from the remaining circulating water. In a cooling tower, the latent heat energy generated when 1% of circulating water evaporates can lower the temperature of the remaining circulating water by approximately 5.4°C.
5. Chiller
Chillers, like cooling towers, are a type of cooling equipment used to cool industrial water, but there are also chiller devices that heat as well as cool, and they have a wide range of uses, including industrial equipment and scientific and chemical equipment.
Since they are generally used for cooling purposes, the term "chiller" (something that cools) is used as a general term for devices that maintain a constant temperature.
A chiller's structure consists of two parts: freezing cycle in which refrigerant circulates, and a circulating water circuit in which chilled water circulates. There are two methods for cooling refrigerant: Air-cooling type and water-cooled.
Air-cooling type chillers use a fan to exchange heat with outside air and release it indoors, so room temperature control is necessary, but as no cooling water piping is required, they are easy to install and maintain.
On the other hand, water-cooled chillers require piping to draw cooling water, but they have a higher cooling effect than Air-cooling type, and because they do not exhaust or emit heat indoors, they can keep the indoor environment clean and quiet.
６．まとめ
The main cooling equipment used in factories includes Air-cooling type heat exchangers (air-cooled radiators), water-cooled heat exchangers, cooling towers, chillers, etc. Each has its own advantages, disadvantages, and characteristics, so it is important to install cooling equipment that is suitable for environment.
For example, if you want to cool industrial water in a factory at low cost, you should choose a cooling tower that uses latent heat and consumes fewer resources, or if you want stable cooling capacity throughout the year, you should choose a chiller that allows you to set the temperature.It is a good idea to choose a system that suits your company's environment and purpose.
