AP Hub – System Solution

High Performance Chiller Plant

Zhao Xijing
Nov 2019
HVAC System Solution
Water Cooled Plant + AHU
0.05-0.3 0.02--0.12 0.47-0.9 0.02-0.12 0.016-0.12
kW/RT kW/RT kW/RT kW/RT kW/RT

24C 12.2C 35C 31C WB

Room
heat Outdoor

13C 6.7C 29.5C 27C WB

Chiller Plant Efficiency Benchmark

ASHRAE Journal by Thomas Hartman

ASHRAE GreenGuide
GM ENRB 2017: Pre-requisite Requirement
Green Mark ENRB:2017
2. Minimum Systems’ Efficiency

Water cooled chilled water system Air cooled chilled water system or
Unitary Air-Conditioner
Building Cooling Load Building Cooling Load
Green Mark (RT) Green Mark (RT)
Rating <500 RT ≥500RT Rating <500 RT ≥500RT
Minimum Efficiency (kW/RT) Minimum Efficiency (kW/RT)
Certified 0.85 0.75 Certified 1.1 1.0
Gold 0.8  0.75 0.70 Gold 1.0
GoldPLUS 0.75 0.7 0.68 GoldPLUS 0.85 *N.A
Platinum 0.7  0.68 0.65 Platinum 0.78

For Platinum, chiller operating efficiency Plant energy audit and performance
needs to be 0.55 kw/RT with zero tolerance. guarantee contracting to help achieve the
requirement
8
Singapore BCA Green Mark Scheme
 High Performance Chiller Plant Concept
 Optimize the performance of all parts of the chiller plant over the whole
operating period.
- Cooling tower fans
- Primary Pumps
- Secondary Pumps
- Condenser Water Pumps
- Variable Speed Drives
- Chillers
 Always meet cooling requirements under all conditions while minimizing
energy usage and operating costs
 Focus on overall Chiller plant efficiency instead of specific individual
equipment
 HE equipment, optimized water distribution system design
 Accurate measurement & audit and continuous monitoring
Operating
 BAS system, make energy efficiency accountable Costs
Energy
Efficiency
Optimizing Chiller Plant

 Plant System Design

 Equipment Selection and installation

 Accurate measurement and continuous monitoring

 Optimized control system

 Continuous maintenance and facility engineer’s expertize

 Plant Design Parameter: Low Flow
 Increase CHW Temperature Difference: Low flow
 Increase CW Temperature Difference: It depends
 CHWS and CHWR temperatures
 CWS and CWR temperatures

Old “rules of thumb”

• 44°F chilled water supply

• 10°F delta T across the evaporator : 2.4 GPM/ton
• 10°F delta T across the condenser : 3.0 GPM/ton

New “rules of thumb” : Low Flow

Pump less water
Work your most efficient equipment (chiller ) the hardest
ASHRAE Green Guide

LOW Flow ( Large Delta T, 7-11C )– Chilled Water

Plant Design Parameter: Low Flow
Tons = gpm * t / 24
Delta T °C Flow rate gpm/ton

11 (20oF) 1.2
Chillers may 10 (18oF) 1.3
working hard 8.9 (16oF) 1.5
7.8 (14oF) 1.7
6.7 (12oF) 2.0
5.6 (10oF) 2.4
4.4 (8oF) 3.0 Pumps consume more
3.3 (6oF) 4.0
2.2 (4oF) 6.0

ASHRAE GreenGuide and CoolTools™ New Rules:

°F to 20 °F
Chilled water ∆T: 12°
°F(single stage) to 18 °F (multi-stage)
Condenser water ∆T: depends, 10°
Compressor Lift Impact on Chiller Efficiency
CSD chiller :
energy saving of 1 - 3%
per 1 °C lift reduction

VSD chiller :
energy saving of 3%-5%
per 1 °C lift reduction

Compressor Lift:
Leaving condenser water temp – leaving chilled water temp
The higher lift , the more work compressor done, the more energy consumed
Plant Design Parameter: Water Temperatures
 Increase CHW Temperature Difference: Low flow
CHW delta temp
CHW supply temp CHW return temp

5C 12 C 10 C 17 C

 Increase CW Temperature Difference?: It depends

CW delta temp

CW supply temp CW return temp

28C 32 C 33 C 40 C
 CHWS and CHWR temperatures: depend on chiller and air side selection,
as well as application
 CWS and CWR temperatures:consider total energy consumption of chiller,
condenser pump, towers, as well as weather condition
Low Chilled Water Supply Temp
works for ice storage system, district cooling plant , cold air distribution
system, retrofit/expansion applications

 impact on cooling coils: will reacts to colder entering water by returning it

warmer, to make AHU cooling coil produce the same capacity with low flow,
chiller water must be colder.
Impact on chiller: efficiency drops
Existing piping: same capacity with smaller pump energy (retrofitting)
same flow rate with bigger capacity(expansion)
Ideal for system expansion: just need to replace old chiller with bigger one

Coil Performance:
Q= U x A x LMTD
Building Load:
Tons = GPM x DeltaT/24
High Chilled Water Supply Temp
Works for DOAS systems, Datacenter, process cooling having less latent load,
normal mixed air AHU system
Chilled Beam High
Temp Chilled water
loop
OA

Dual chilled water

loops 14.0 C

7C

VPF VPF
12 C 18 C

Plant room Plant room

Impact on AHU Coil

Commercial Office Building

High Condenser Water Temp
Works for retrofitting project with increased load

 Increasing chiller leaving condenser water

temp, cooling tower heat rejection load can
be increased with same condenser pump,
pipes, and CT
 Need to make sure the existing chiller is able
to operate at the high condenser water temp(
screw chiller typically have the capability,
centrifugal chiller need to be cautious)

Higher inlet temp, large temp range, the better CT efficiency

Low Condenser Water Temp
Works much better for part load operation, VSD chiller
Variable Speed Chiller Performance
0.9

0.8 The most efficient operating range

of variable speed chillers is 30% to
0.7 80%

0.6

0.5
kW/ton

0.4

0.3

0.2

0.1

0
20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
Load

85°F ECWT 75°F ECWT 65°F ECWT 55°F ECWT

Low Condenser Water Temp
Works for part load operation or oversized cooling tower

 During part load operating, cooling tower is

able to provide lower condenser water temp
with or without variable condenser water
flow control.
 By varying condenser flow rate at part load,
condenser water temp is higher than
constant condenser flow, which makes
chiller less efficient but condenser pump
more efficient. Constant condenser flow rate
vice versa
Cooling Tower Performance: Approach and WB

CT approach could
be lower to 2F( 1C)
at 82F(28C) WB
2012 ASHRAE Handbook-HVAC Systems and Equipment, Chapter 40 Cooling Towers.
Cooling Tower Approach and WB
Cooling Tower Design and Selection
Conventional design = approach 5-7 deg C
Optimized design = approach 1.5-4 deg C
Design Condition: 32-37 C OR 29.5-34.5C? OR 28.5-33.5?

CHILLER PLANT
DESIGN

 Premium HE motors
 VSD on tower fans
 Oversized/standby CT
 Good cooling tower layout
 Good water treatment with continuous monitoring of water quality

! Cooling tower sizing with optimized approach saves energy at all operating conditions
Operating Envelope –Singapore : Zone 1A

WB Temp Bin
3500

3064
3000 56%
2500 % 2433

WB Temp Bin
2000 1915

1500

1000
768
503
500

0 4 58 15 0 0
0
19.5-20.5 20.5-21.5 21.5-22.5 22.5-23.5 23.5-24.5 24.5-25.5 25.5-26.5 26.5-27.5 27.5-28.5 28.5-29.5 29.5-30.5

Assuming 1.5C Cooling tower approach, chiller would be able to operate at

ECWT lower than 27C for 56% of hours, lower than 26C for 34% of hours
Operating Envelope –Singapore : Zone 1A

WB Temp Bin
4000
3741

3500

3000 WB Temp Bin

2500
34%%
2000 1823
1663

1500
1161

1000

500
155 194
0 0 19 4 0
0
19-20 20-21 21-22 22-23 23-24 24-25 25-26 26-27 27-28 28-29 29-30

Assuming 2C Cooling tower approach, chiller would be able to operate at

ECWT lower than 27C for 34% of hours, lower than 26C for 15% of hours.
ASHRAE 90.1_2013
Common Header Design for CT Piping

Open-circuit cooling towers used on water-cooled chiller systems that have

multiple or variable-speed condenser-water pumps must be designed so that all
open-circuit tower cells can be run in parallel with the larger of:
the flow produced by the smallest pump at its minimum expected flow rate, or
50 percent of the design flow for the cell.

Run as many cooling tower as possible at lower speed

Pipe Sizing

General design for piping

Piping friction loss: 2ft/100ft to 5ft/100ft
Water velocity: 3m/s-5m/s

Optimum design of flow rate & Velocity (for big main pipe)
Piping friction loss : 100 Pa/m or 1 ft/100ft.
Water Velocity : 1.5 m/s or 5 ft/sec
Pipe Sizing
ASHRAE 90.1-2013: Maximum flow rate for each pipe size using the
prescriptive compliance approach
Low Pressure Piping Design

 Low pressure fittings & connections

 No unnecessary balancing valves
 No constant flow valves
 Select low pressure drop chillers
 Avoid turbulence in the inlet and outlet of pumps
 Reduce elbow quantity

Low pressure piping system

Chilled water pump head: 15 -20m

Condenser water pump head: 10 -12m
Equipment Selection: Pump

 Pump efficiency can be as high as 86%

 Premium high efficiency motor can be as high as 94%
 Make sure pump operating at high efficiency zone during most of part load
operating hours
 Low pump head

Pump KW = (L/s x kpa) / (1000*Peff*Meff) Or KW = (0.746xgpmxftwg) / (3960*Peff*Meff)

Equipment Selection: Chiller

 High efficiency
 Chiller Type :
Centrifugal or Screw?
CSD or VSD?
Heat pump/heat recovery?
 Chiller number and capacity sizing:
Based on load histogram and chiller efficiency sweetspot
Redundancy and backup consideration
Need to consider night load condition
Optimized Plant Control: Tower Fan Control
Cooling Tower Controls Without VSD
Total Cooling Tower Airflow = 240,000CFM
Total Power Consumption = 50 kW
120,000CFM 120,000CFM 0 CFM
34°C 25 kW 25 kW 0 kW

ON ON OFF

29°C

ON ON OFF
Cooling Tower Controls With VSD

Total Cooling Tower Airflow = 252,000CFM

Total Power Consumption =(35/50)
3
x25kWx3=25.8kw ( VSD at 35 Hz)

84,000CFM 84,000CFM 84,000 CFM

34°C 8.6 kW 8.6 kW 8.6 kW

ON ON On

29°C

ON ON OFF
Condenser Water Temp Control Strategy

Condenser water temp control

 To maintain minimum Entering
Condenser Water Temp.
(ECDWT) to Chiller
 To maintain design entering
condenser water temp Fixed Approach control:
 To maintain fixed approach CDWT setpoint = outside WB temp+ Delta T
 Dynamic optimal control

Smart Fan Control Every 1 deg.C drop about 3% saving

 Lower fan speed with more

Towers
 Controls to increase air flow with
lower energy consumption.
Optimized Plant Control: Chilled Water Temp Reset

Adjust Supply Chilled Water Temperature Setpoint for Chiller(s) at off-design

condition based on:
• Outdoor Temperature / Humidity
• Control valve position control
• VPF Bypass controls

Nominal chiller energy saving : 1 - 3% per 1 °C

VSD chiller energy saving: 3.6 - 5.4% per 1 °C

 Optimized Plant Control: Chiller Sequencing
 CSD chiller: Run no more chiller than required to meet the load
 VSD chiller: running more chiller at its sweetspot while optimizing
condenser water temp
 Stretch chiller capacity beyond nominal by taking advantage of low
ambient condition or chilled water temp rest
 Consider installing and operating night load chiller for night low load
requirement
Chilled Water Pump Speed Control

Secondary Pumps
Primary/Secondary System:
Saving pump energy on secondary
pumps
Primary Pumps Decoupler
/Bypass

Typical load with 2 way valve

Automatic Modulating Valve

Primary Pumps

Variable Primary Flow System:

Saving more pump energy

Bypass
Valve
Flow Meter
Typical load with 2 way valve
High Performance Chiller Plant

Optimized design: Low pressure, low flow, right equipment sizing

+
Continuous accurate measurement and verification system

+
Optimized plant control system

High Performance Chiller Plant

Thank you for your attention!