What is process cooling, and what options are available to me?

What is process cooling?

Process cooling is the process of removing of unwanted heat from an industrial process. Process chillers are designed to operate at different temperatures and have the ability to work with multiple pumps and cooling circuits.

Process cooling systems are comprised of two features: a refrigerant circuit and process cooling circuit. The latter pumps a process fluid to the application to absorb unwanted heat; the refrigeration circuit then removes the heat from the process fluid.

Industrial manufacture and process methods tend to generate a lot of heat; when left unchecked, this can result in overheating, which damages equipment, poses safety risks, and slows down the speed at which the system can operate. Removing this excess heat ensures your business can continue in a safe and efficient manner, protecting your bottom line.

Where is process cooling used?

Process cooling in an industrial setting is often used for one of three reasons: cooling a process, cooling a product within that process, or cooling the equipment used. Temperature control in most instances is critical, in order to ensure the quality of the end product is maintained and to minimise general wear and tear.

What types of cooling solutions are available?

Water chillers

At Maziak, we work with only the best, which is why Parker is our partner of choice for our range of water chillers. The water chillers we supply can be manufactured in either a water-chilled or air-chilled configuration, utilising either a stainless-steel plate evaporator, or an immersed evaporator within the tank, along with compliant scroll compressors, and a cutting-edge microprocessor controller. These water chillers provide effective precision cooling whilst maintaining a low energy consumption.

Dry air or air blast coolers

Dry air, or air blast, coolers make use of fans to pass ambient air over an extended surface heat exchanger, which in turn cools the fluid within the heat exchanger tubes. This type of system is ideal for cooling processes such as hydraulic motors, engine test cells, or for furnace cooling. Our range uses the latest technology to ensure an energy efficient solution. From horizontal, vertical, V, or half V types, we can provide the most ideal solution for your system.

Free coolers

Free cooling systems utilise external ambient temperatures in order to reduce the need for using a chiller on a process cooling application. When ambient air temperatures are below the water return temperature, the free cooler can start to provide partial free cooling and depending upon how efficient it is sized, it can provide 100% free cooling in ambient air temperatures of just 3°C below the water supply temperature. Depending upon your process temperature requirements, this can typically ensure that your chiller is partially or fully offloaded for up to 90% of the year. This has the added advantage of ensuring that your chiller is not overstressed and only takes over the full cooling requirements at the hottest times of the year, improving the system resilience and the lifespan of the chiller.

Adiabatic coolers

Adiabatic coolers are similar to dry air coolers, however they take it one step further and are fitted with an adiabatic spray system as part of the final stage of cooling, which is only employed during the hottest times of the year. The sprayed water evaporates into the air stream and cools the air before it passes over the coil, providing a greater cooling effect. An adiabatic cooler often comes with a smaller physical footprint, ideal when space is tight. At Maziak, we can provide adiabatic coolers in various configurations, such as horizontal, vertical, V, or half V.

Cooling towers

Cooling towers recirculate water throughout the tower, and cooling is achieved through the water that is distributed over the fill pack being brought into direct contact with the air that is drawn counter flow across the fill pack. During this process, evaporation occurs, which reduces the temperature of the rest of the water being recirculated through the cooling tower. Cooling towers are ideal due to their small equipment footprint; however, their suitability is dependent on location.

At Maziak, our expert process cooling solutions team are well placed to investigate your needs and advise the best cooling solution for your business. From initial enquiry to project management and handover, the Maziak team are here to help, to make sure your cooling solution installation is as pain-free as possible. Get in touch with our expert team today on 01933 222000 or email us at enquiries@maziak.co.uk. Alternatively, please fill in our enquiry form and we will get back to you.