Trane TRG-TRC011-EN manual Maintenance Considerations

Page 55

period four

Maintenance Considerations

notes

Use a qualified water treatment specialist

Clean absorber and condenser tubes as needed

Clean waterside strainers

Test tubes every 3 years

Figure 59

The use of better heat-transfer materials will reduce future maintenance costs. The high-temperature generator, for example, contains high-temperature lithium bromide solution that, when exposed to air and other noncondensables, is more corrosive than in other sections of the chiller. Better materials in the high-temperature generator will improve reliability and require less maintenance. When selecting an absorption chiller, both installation and maintenance costs must be considered when comparing different designs.

To ensure optimum heat transfer performance, the heat transfer surfaces must be kept free of scale and sludge. Even a thin deposit of scale can substantially reduce heat transfer capacity. Engage the services of a qualified water treatment specialist to determine the level of water treatment required to remove contaminants from the cooling water.

Scale deposits are best removed by chemical means. During this process, the absorber and condenser are commonly isolated from the rest of the cooling- tower-water circuit by valves, while a pump circulates cleaning solution through the tubes.

Sludge is removed mechanically. This typically involves removing the water boxes from the absorber and condenser, and loosening the deposits with a stiff- bristled brush. The loosened material is then flushed from the tubes with clear water. As part of this procedure, the strainers in both the chilled-water and cooling-water circuits should be cleaned every year.

Every three years (more frequently in process or critical applications), a qualified service organization should perform nondestructive inspections of the tubes inside the generator(s), condenser, evaporator, absorber, and heat exchanger(s). The eddy-current tube test is a common method.

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TRG-TRC011-EN

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Contents Air Conditioning Clinic Absorption Water Chillers Absorption Water Chillers Preface Contents TRG-TRC004-EN Introduction TRG-TRC011-EN Period one Absorption Refrigeration CyclePeriod one Reject heat Heat energy Absorption System Fluids High affinity for water refrigerant Components of the Absorption Cycle Conditions Steam or Hot waterrefrigerant vapor Generator Condenser Refrigerant then flows into the evaporator pan Absorber spray pump Solution Heat Exchanger Dilute Generator pump Equilibrium Chart Heat Solution temperature Period two Absorption Chiller TypesSingle-Effect Chiller Absorber Evaporator spray pump Spray pump Generator pump Double-Effect Chiller Vapor Low Temperature condenser Cooling Generator Water Evaporator Absorber Low-temperature generator pump Generator pump Absorption Chiller Types Direct-Fired Chiller Evaporator High-temperature high-temperature Generatorgenerator pump Chiller/Heater Absorption Chiller Types Changeover Absorption Chiller Types Period three Capacity ControlPeriod three Energy valve Generator Crystallization 10C 37.8C Capacity Control Capacity Control Capacity Control Heat exchanger bypass Evaporator pan Purge System Isolation valve Period four Maintenance ConsiderationsPeriod four Maintenance Considerations Test run with alternate fuel, if dual-fuel burner Maintenance Considerations Maintenance Considerations Corrosion inhibitor and performance additive recommendations Period five Application ConsiderationsCooling-Water Temperature Limitations Combination Chiller Plants 58F Special Considerations for Direct-Fired Chillers Application Considerations Equipment Rating Standards Period six ReviewPeriod six Review Review Review Questions for Period QuizQuiz TRG-TRC011-EN Answers Glossary Glossary Glossary Trane Company