In theory, absorption chillers make an attractive cooling solution because they employ water as an environmentally friendly refrigerant, and they can use heat from a variety of sources to drive the refrigeration cycle instead of costly electricity produced by a utility. In an absorption chiller, the refrigeration effect is the result of chemical and thermodynamic reactions occurring between the water refrigerant and a salt solution, such as a Lithium-Bromide (LiBr) mixture, which drives the refrigeration cycle. Sophisticated controls are required to keep the chemistry in proper balance by regulating pressure, temperature, and concentration (PTC).
For maximum uptime and year-round operational availability, it is essential to optimize the salt-solution chemistry to maintain reliability and minimize impact on efficiency. This challenge has been met by innovative technologies — namely, a 2-step evaporator/absorber (E/A) and a parallel-flow cycle — incorporated in the chiller itself to optimize PTC and enhance reliability and efficiency beyond conventional designs.