How to select a chiller

To ensure stable operation of a chiller, attention must be paid to the device's operating conditions, facility usage status, chiller installation location, piping distance and shape, etc. If an incompatible chiller is selected, it may not perform performance expected once operation begins, or problems may occur with the equipment it is intended to cool or with the chiller itself.

The inside of a chiller consists of freezing cycle in which refrigerant circulates and a water circuit in which chilled water circulates. There are two types of refrigerant cooling methods: Air-cooling type and water-cooled. While most chillers are primarily used for cooling, there are also devices that can heat as well as cool, so they can be used for a variety of purposes. This page provides detailed information on how to select a chiller.

Table of contents

Four steps to confirm and decide on a chiller

• STEP 1 Circulating water temperature
• STEP 2 Cooling method/installation location
• STEP 3 Cooling capacity
• STEP 4 Pump capacity (head)

The selection criteria have already been determined
If you want to choose a chiller now

Four points to consider when selecting a chiller
Confirmation and decision process

It is important to select a chiller that is suited to the equipment and work being cooled, and it is also important to match the chiller's functions, performance, and specification with the conditions and circumstances of use.
If this matching process is neglected, the expected performance may not be achieved once operation begins, or problems may occur with the equipment being cooled or with the chiller itself.
In addition to issues of the set temperature and heat quantity of the work (the object to be cooled), selecting a chiller model is not as simple as selecting other equipment, for example, as the head changes depending on the diameter, length, and shape of the piping connecting the work and the chiller.

Selecting the optimal chiller involves a process of determining the conditions of use.
Follow the four confirmation and decision-making steps below to select the chiller that best suits your facility.

STEP 1 Determine the circulating water temperature

circulating water temperature is determined based on the optimum temperature of the workpiece (the equipment or task that the chiller is intended to cool).

• - Determine the optimum temperature for the workpiece to be cooled.
• - Determines the temperature of circulating water supplied by the chiller.

STEP 2Decide the cooling method (air cooling or water cooling) and installation location (outdoors or indoors)

Decide whether to install an Air-cooling type or water-cooled chiller.
Air-cooling type chillers generate waste heat, while water-cooled chillers do not generate waste heat indoors but require cooling water in addition to circulating water.
Therefore, the cooling method must be considered depending on the installation environment.
Also, depending on the installation environment, it may not be possible to place the chiller indoors, in which case an outdoor type chiller must be selected.
Select a chiller that suits your installation environment and operation method.

STEP 3 Determine cooling capacity

Calculate the capacity required for cooling based on the temperature change of the workpiece and the circulating water flow rate and temperature difference.
For more information on how to determine cooling capacity for a chiller, see Heat Rate Calculation Methods.

If you have already decided on the conditions for the chiller you want to select, you can easily select the chiller that suits your purpose from this page.

STEP 4 Determine the pump capacity
(Determine the lift height)

capacity required of the pump is determined by the piping conditions.
The "head" is determined by the pipe length, pipe diameter, and fittings, and the pump capacity is determined by that head.
See below for more information on how to determine your chiller's pump capacity.