July 2019 – Building managers have a difficult choice to make when there is no cooling tower and the cooling required or tonnage is greater than expected. There are two options available when this happens.
Installing an air conditioning system in this case comes down to choosing between two types of air cooled chillers: Outdoor air cooled chillers or Remote Outdoor air cooled condenser chillers. Points to consider are the total tonnage of the system, where is it located for winter conditions and where are the chillers going to be located (on the roof or ground).
In the Detroit area you will need a water glycol solution if you go with outdoor air cooled chillers. This can be an expensive solution depending on the piping in the building. If the mechanical room is at the top of the building and the outdoor condensers can go directly above it, the remote condenser is a better choice. You won’t need a water/glycol solution and the chiller selection (capacity choices) will be greater.
When considering all of the above points the choice was three 75 hp dual circuit remote condensers, with three matching chillers.