What is an industrial chiller?
A chiller is an industrial cooling system designed to remove heat from a circulating fluid—typically water or a water-glycol mixture—and maintain it at a constant, controlled temperature.
In industrial environments, a chiller industrial unit is essential to ensure reliable thermal control and protect processes and equipment from overheating.
How does a chiller work?
To understand how does a chiller work, it is useful to look at its operating cycle.
The fluid to be cooled circulates in a closed loop between the industrial water chiller unit and the machine or application, at a predefined temperature known as the set point (SV).
During the production process, the fluid absorbs heat generated by the equipment and returns to the chiller unit at a higher temperature. The chiller then removes this excess heat and cools the fluid back to the target temperature before sending it again to the application.
The main function of a chiller is therefore to ensure continuous cooling and deliver fluid at a stable temperature, regardless of variations in thermal load.
Types of industrial chillers
There are two main configurations of industrial chiller systems:
- Closed-tank chiller: All hydraulic components operate under positive pressure in a sealed system.
- Open-tank chiller: The tank is open to the atmosphere, allowing easier inspection and maintenance.
Industrial chillers offered by SMC
SMC supplies exclusively open-tank chillers, designed for maximum reliability and ease of use. These systems can be installed both indoors and outdoors and are compatible with dual frequency (50/60 Hz) and a wide range of electrical power supplies.
Our chiller industrial solutions are divided into the following categories:
Refrigerant-based chillers
These air cooled chiller systems regulate temperature through a refrigerant gas circuit and are available in:
- Single-channel chillers: Suitable for controlling one cooling circuit, available in standard or rack-mounted versions.
- Dual-channel chillers: Designed to manage two independent cooling circuits with different set point temperatures.
Thermoelectric chillers
Thermoelectric absorption chiller solutions use Peltier technology to control temperature without refrigerant gases, making them ideal for compact and low-maintenance applications.
SMC chillers are suitable for cooling different circulating fluids, including clean water, deionised water, glycol mixtures and fluorinated fluids.
When should a chiller unit be used?
Using an industrial chiller unit ensures stable and repeatable cooling, contributing to improved productivity and higher OEE (Overall Equipment Effectiveness).
Typical situations where a chiller is recommended include:
- Cooling with industrial water: Water from wells or ponds may contain impurities, algae or scale, compromising system reliability.
- Cooling with cooling tower water: Cooling towers often deliver unstable performance and require high maintenance and water treatment costs. In these cases, a dedicated water chiller can be more efficient.
- Cooling with potable water: An industrial water chiller can significantly reduce water consumption and discharge costs while improving energy efficiency.
- Lack of suitable cooling systems: Older chillers may involve excessive maintenance costs, while new applications may require a dedicated chiller unit from the outset.
How to select the right absorption chiller?
The primary criterion when selecting a chiller industrial system is the cooling capacity, defined as the amount of heat the unit can dissipate over time.
A secondary but equally important parameter is pump capacity, including flow rate and pressure, which are closely linked and documented in the Flow–Pressure charts provided in our catalogues.
When the heat load is unknown, the correct chiller size can be calculated using the following data:
- Flow rate
- Supply temperature
- Return temperature
Ambient temperature must also be considered to ensure accurate sizing.
Chiller selection can be performed manually or using SMC’s dedicated chiller selection software, which provides both cooling capacity curves and pump performance charts.
Need support choosing the right chiller?
Our temperature control specialists are ready to help you select the most suitable solution for your application.
