subject: Compressors In Industrial Chillers [print this page] Industrial chillers usually use four major types of compressors. The four compressors are reciprocating compressors, scroll compressors, screw-driven compressors, and centrifugal compressors.
Each compressor operates differently in chillers. It is best to know which compressor should be used for which chiller. A way to determine which compressor is the best compressor for your industrial chiller is to know about each compressor.
A reciprocating compressor is also known as a piston compressor. This compressor is made up of light weight aluminum alloys. The operation of a reciprocating compressor is that it uses the pistons that are driven by a crankshaft to transport gas at a high pressure. It is important for the reciprocating compressor to have a light weight design because the weight has to be low but it has to be able to strong enough to compress the hot air or high pressure within it.
Scroll compressors, which are also called spiral compressors, scroll pumps, or scroll vacuum pumps, are used for compressing the air or the refrigerant that is in the chiller. The operating of the scroll compressor is that it works in a reverse direction, known as the scroll compressor. It is used for three main pieces of equipments; mainly air conditioners, but also automobile superchargers, and vacuum pumps.
Scroll compressors, unlike reciprocating or piston compressors, run very smoothly and are energy efficient which directly makes them cost efficient.
The next compressor is the screw-driven compressor, also known as a rotary screw compressor. A rotary screw compressor uses a rotary type positive displacement device. Rotary screw compressors are usually gas compressors that use two screws which are known as rotors that compress the gas.
Rotary screw compressors come in two different applications; oil free and oil flooded. In the oil free application the air is compressed through the screws. In this process, it does its job without the use of an oil seal. Therefore, the oil free application tends to have a low maximum discharge pressure ability. In the oil flooded applications the oil is inserted into the compressor cavity to help to make available sealing and cooling for the gas charge.
The last compressor is the radial compressor, which is widely known as the centrifugal compressor. This compressors design very much mimics the look of a fan. The compressor has a radial flow turbo machinery that includes fans, pumps, blowers, and compressors. The flow goes through a compressor which is in a perpendicular position in proportion of the axis of rotation.
Each compressor is used specifically to a different industrial chiller. Picking one after reading about each of the compressors is up to you!
