Air Cooled Chillers
An air-cooled water chiller absorbs heat from process water, and the heat is then transferred to the air around the chiller unit. This type of chiller system is generally used in applications where the additional heat it discharges is not a factor. In fact, it’s often practical to use the excess heat to warm a plant during the winter, thus providing additional cost savings.
Air-cooled chillers require less maintenance than water-cooled units, and they eliminate the need for a cooling tower and condenser water pump. However, since a wet surface will transfer heat better than a dry surface, an air-cooled chiller will tend to consume approximately 10% more power than a water-cooled unit.