Due to the Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) program, Department of Defense facilities across the country were consolidated to improve efficiency and reduce operating costs.
A new Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) study involving 196 cooling towers nationwide found that 84% contained Legionella DNA, indicating that the dangerous bacteria was present or had been at some point.
Retrieving every last bit of performance from the system while stopping short of the surge line is no small feat. Dig into sizing, tower selection, chilled water loads and stability, and condenser water management to leave no efficiency stone unturned.
Finding the holy grail of centrifugal chiller optimization for all operating conditions is hard, if not impossible. This article will talk about the requirements of most chiller systems and means of control for condenser optimization.
Budget woes. Equipment that has outlived its effectiveness. Unorthodox original decisions and little space to maneuver. The layers are many, but as this project shows, the solutions are there.
The larger or more complex a cooling plant becomes, the more challenges to its ef-ficiency it will face. When applied wisely, modern controls and equipment can rise to meet those challenges. Read up on active balancing, pump dynamic differential setpoint control, and more responsive tactics for when the worst thing you can do is just go with the flow.
Two towers of office space were overdue for an efficiency overhaul. A creative and responsive project team cleared some placement and design hurdles for its new central plant, all while remaining qualified for nearly $1 million in utility rebates.
Back in 1983 — over three decades ago — a built-up DX cooling system was a good alternative to a chilled water-based system for the Molina Center (Long Beach, CA).