Process Instrumentation Solutions for HVAC/R

What is a chiller?

Industrial chillers are systems that remove heat from a liquid by means of either a vapor-compression or absorption refrigerant cycle and reject that heat elsewhere. The cool liquid produced by the chiller is circulated through a heat exchanger to cool and dehumidify air in mid to large size commercial, industrial, institutional and high-rise residential facilities. Chilled water is also used for a host of industrial applications including equipment cooling, food processing and many others.

What is a Boiler/Furnace System?

Industrial boilers are systems designed to produce steam in varying quantities for a variety of applications including space heating, process heating, sanitation, power generation and others.

There are two general styles of boiler systems that are used for steam production; namely fire-tube and water-tube. Both types of boilers can produce steam, super-heated steam or hot water (also known as a hydronic boiler).

• Fire-tube boilers are generally used for lower volume steam generation and are typically best suited for applications such as space & process heating

• A water-tube boiler is better suited for high steam output applications such as power generation

What is a Steam Distribution System?

The purpose of a steam distribution system is to connect the output of the steam generation system (i.e. boilers) to the steam end use applications.

The main components of a steam distribution include:

• Steam distribution piping

• Valves

• Insulation

• Steam traps

• Air vents

• Drip legs

• Strainers

What is an Air Distribution System?

Air distribution systems bring conditioned air from a heating or cooling system to people occupying a building through a system of fans, filters, dampers and ducts.

What is a Refrigeration System?

Refrigeration systems within a facility include built-up ammonia and freon systems, packaged ammonia and freon chillers, free cooling chillers, glycol and water chillers, and ice builders. These systems are crucial to maintaining temperatures within specific areas of the plant with direct expansion evaporators, such as cold storage and freezers, but may also be an integral part of the process itself for product cooling.

Secondary cooling loops such as glycol and chilled water may also be used within the process, or in air handlers to maintain temperature set point around the plant

Green Building Intelligence (GBI) is a system that uses smart metering technologies to identify the total energy flows within a building. Actionable information is provided to system operators allowing them to actively and effectively manage and control the building’s energy usage in real time.

Understanding exactly where, when, why and how much energy is being used is the basis of  Green Building Intelligence.