What is a chiller and how does it work?

A chiller is a machine that removes heat from a liquid coolant using vapor-compression, adsorption, or absorption refrigeration cycles. The chilled liquid can then be circulated through heat exchangers to cool equipment, air, or process water. As a by-product of this process, waste heat is generated and must be exhausted to the atmosphere or recovered for heating purposes.

What we know

• A chiller removes heat from a liquid coolant via vapor-compression, adsorption refrigeration, or absorption refrigeration cycles. [1, 2]
• The chilled liquid from a chiller can circulate through a heat exchanger to cool equipment, air, or process water. [2]
• Refrigeration creates waste heat as a necessary by-product, which is exhausted to the ambience or recovered for heating. [2]
• Vapor compression chillers commonly use hermetic scroll, semi-hermetic screw, or centrifugal compressors. [2]

Where to go next

• how it workedHow do absorption and adsorption chillers function?
• what caused itWhat is a cooling tower and how does it support water-cooled chillers?
• a case in pointHow do chiller boiler systems combine heating and cooling?
• the bigger pictureWhat are heat pumps and how do they relate to chillers?
• what followedHow do HVAC control systems regulate large thermal equipment?
• an unexpected connectionHow can waste heat from refrigeration be recovered for heating?Although chillers are primarily known for removing heat to provide cooling, their necessary waste heat can actually be recovered to provide heating for buildings.

Sources

• [1]chiller (Wikidata Q1501558) · CC0 1.0
• [2]Chiller · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [3]Chiller boiler system · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [4]HVAC control system · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [5]Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning · CC BY-SA 4.0