Portable chillers provide you with the cooling solution you need. They’re affordable, efficient, and don’t require you to install a built-in model. Though compact in size, these chillers have capacities for rigorous industrial tasks. Before making any purchase decisions, however, you need to know the specs that can help you choose the best cooling solution for your application.
Portable coolers are available in various models, including water and air-cooled models. But when shopping around for these fixtures, you should seriously consider your cooling needs. These mobile chiller specifications will make it easier for you to choose the best cooler for your situations.
Coolant Temperature
This refers to the coldest temperature attained by the chilling liquid. Once it reaches the system, the cooling liquid absorbs heat from the surrounding air, raising its heat. The cooling fluid’s temperature will help determine the amount of heat it can absorb.
Required Heat Load
Heat load is the amount of heat generated by your process. A greater heat load requires a more powerful chiller that can effectively remove the excess heat. It’s often measured in BTUs (British Thermal Units) per hour.
To determine the required heat load, get the product of the coolant flow, the specific gravity and the change in temperature. Then, multiply the result by 499.8. Once you’re done, divide the heat load by 12,000 to find the tonnage needed to handle your heat production.
Coolant Flow Rate
There are two things that impact a liquid’s ability to remove heat; pressure and coolant flow rate. Typically, the coolant flow rate is obtained by dividing the heat load by the product of the temperature change and the coolant specific gravity.
Coolant Flow = Heat Load value / (cooling liquid specific gravity x temperature change)
It’s also important to note that the size of the pipe through which the coolant flows hugely determine the amount of pressure. A well-designed chiller will allow for proper pressure to safeguard the various components against damage.
Heat Dissipation
How the condenser eliminates heat makes a difference. You can always choose between air-cooled and water-cooled systems. They both come with numerous benefits for the chiller as well as the facility.
Generally, air-cooled units expel excess heat into the surrounding atmosphere. This cooling technique is commonly used by home air conditioning systems and is an excellent choice for colder climates.
Water-cooled chillers, on the other hand, send the excess heat into a water system. They utilize large water cooling towers to absorb excess heat. But in cold weather, the cooling tower can ice over, substantially reducing its ability to absorb heat. That’s what makes them suitable for use in milder climates.
If you’re planning to use your portable chiller outside in freezing temperatures, consider choosing an air-cooled model. But if greater efficiency is what you need, go for water-cooled models.
Portable Chiller Applications
The type of portable chiller you choose depends on your industrial needs. Applications include:
Metal Plating
In metal plating, the surface is coated with metal ions from a donor material over a conductive base. The donor acts as the positively charged anode while the base has a negative charge which accepts the positive metal ions. The surface coating is formed when an electric current passes through the cathode and anode. And temperature control is vital to the outcome.
To accurately size a process chiller for metal plating, you’ll need to calculate the required cooling load using the voltage and rectifier amps. Get the product of these two values and then multiply the result by 3.412. Then, divide this heat load by 12,000 to find the needed cooling tonnage.
Using the full tonnage obtained from the calculation ensures that you choose a process chiller that can handle all your metal plating temperature needs.
Injection Molding
Most plastic processes need cooling. Utilizing a closed-loop system to prevent the contamination of plastics is extremely important.
Injection molding accounts for a greater percentage of plastic formation, and cooling takes most of this time. Water-based cooling systems vent out the excess heat produced during the various steps of this process. This is simply because water-based chillers have increased efficiency, making it ideal for cooling injection molding processes.
Anodizing
Anodizing happens when a surface is coated with aluminum, forming an oxides coating with the base metal. Since the base and surface both feature the same materials, the surface coating is an integrated component of the base. As opposed to plated surfaces, metals which have anodized coatings don’t usually have their surface flake off easily.
In anodizing, the base is the anode featuring a positive charge. Manufacturers submerge the base material, often aluminum, into an acidic bath with the cathode. When an electric current is passed through the liquid, oxygen ions are taken away from the electrolytic acid bath, creating an anodic oxide coating that strengthens the aluminum. Portable chillers remove heat from the electrolyte liquid keeping it at a consistent temperature. And for high-quality anodizing, temperature control is critical.
Plastics Extrusion
Like other methods of plastic manufacturing, plastic extrusion also needs careful cooling to produce the correct shape. Melted plastic gets pushed through a mold. And if the plastic cools faster while moving through the form, then it will solidify too early. If it stays hot after pushing through the mold, it won’t form the correct shape.
For proper cooling, consider using process chillers from North Slope Chillers. These cooling devices remove excess heat from the plastic-filled forms, allowing the part to solidify at the right place.
Conclusion
Portable chillers come with moveable wheels and casters on their base. Their compact size makes it easier for you to carry them around. You can readily position them wherever you need. They also function well as emergency replacement options should any permanent fixture breakdown.
Even more, these coolers are suitable for use in various applications, including injection molding, plastic extrusion, metal plating, as well as anodizing. So, depending on your industrial application, there’s always something to choose from. It all depends on the required heat load capacity.
