What Is a Process Chiller?

What Is a Process Chiller?

A process chiller is a cooling system that removes heat from a manufacturing process or a piece of equipment. Also known as an industrial process chiller, it is used when a material needs to be kept at a specific temperature to ensure manufacturing operations run smoothly and to maintain product quality. 

How Does a Process Chiller Work?

These systems work by circulating water, or a mixture of water and glycol, through heat exchangers to absorb heat from a process or material. That heat is then released to the environment (air or water) through a refrigeration cycle. 

There are several key components common to all process chillers:

• The compressor compresses the refrigerant gas, which absorbs heat from the process fluid.
• The condenser releases heat to the environment.
• The expansion valve regulates the refrigerant flow into the evaporator, where the fluid becomes a gas. 
• The pump circulates the chilled fluid.
• The reservoir stores the chilled fluid.

Industries That Benefit from Process Chillers

Any manufacturing process that generates a high amount of heat can benefit from incorporating industrial process chillers into its operations. Here are a few examples: 

• Metalworking: welding, laser cutting and machining generate localized heat that can damage tools and materials.
• Plastics: chillers can help maintain mold temperatures, reduce cycle times and decrease product defects.
• Chemical processing: controlling temperatures precisely is critical to chemical reactions, mixing solutions and storage.
• Print and graphics: to maintain product consistency, ink and rollers should be kept within a specific temperature range. 
• Food and beverage: chillers maintain ingredient and product temperatures to ensure food safety throughout the creation process.
• Pharmaceuticals: process chillers ensure precise temperatures for manufacturing drugs and preventing the overheating of equipment.

Modern process chillers chosen to match the required cooling capacity add a layer of efficiency to operations, with respect to both energy and up-time. They contribute to improved product quality, increased equipment lifespans and faster production cycles.

Available capacities for Trane process chillers range from one ton to 53 tons and are available in ready-to-deploy packages and custom builds. Reach out to your local Trane representative to determine the option that is best for your facility.