Chiller refurbishment was quicker and cheaper than installing new plant
ThermOzone’s ReChill service has restored an 85 kW chiller (pictured) serving an office building in the west end of London to full working order for less than 40% of the cost of a new chiller and in a third of the time, just four weeks. Funding from the Carbon Trust contributed £7000 to the cost of the project at Woolverstone House in Berners Street.
It was after 27 years of service that the original screw compressor failed, but all the remaining sub-assemblies were in sound condition. There were a few rust patches, and the unit was jaded around the edges.
Adding to time pressures was the problem having been overlooked during the winter, leaving little time for a new system to be delivered and installed ready for the summer cooling season.
In view of the chiller’s age, a basic repair was clearly not going to work reliably. A redesign included a new screw compressor with inverter drive to substantially reduce energy consumption and enabling the most efficient refrigerant to be used. The system can be upgraded in the future as HFCs are phased down.
The electro-mechanical controls were replaced with a modern set of electronics that can properly control all the chiller’s functions.
The life expectancy of the restored chiller is over 10 years, compared to an estimated eight to 10 years for a new chiller.
The refurbishment did not involve road closures or crane lifts.
Tome Brumwell of ThermOzone says, ‘The principle for this 85 kW chiller applies equally to a 1000 kW unit. These sites exist all over the country, and as a Carbon Trust Supplier, we could approve this project for a direct funding grant contribution of 30%, reducing the client’s actual bill to just £16 000.’
