Process Cooling Systems

Get the Most Out of Your Investment

Process cooling systems are essential for increasing industrial application longevity and protecting employee well-being. At APenergy, we partner with manufacturing facilities like yours to ensure they’re getting the most out of their cooling systems.

What Is Process Cooling?

Process cooling eliminates unwanted heat from an industrial application process. Using cooling equipment—such as air- and water-cooled chillers—ensures your operational processes remain safe, efficient, and reliable for employee use. In addition, they ensure your manufacturing systems stay in the best condition for as long as possible.

Types of Industrial Process Cooling Systems

APenergy audits and suggests the implementation of several process cooling systems to help operations run smoothly. These cooling systems include:

Open-Loop Cooling Systems

Open-loop cooling systems are used in applications where intense temperature variation is expected. The system’s cooling water supplies a dampening effect that promotes an evenly distributed temperature throughout the industrial application.

Closed-Loop Cooling Systems

Closed-loop cooling systems utilize in-line air separation and thermal expansion valves to eliminate the need for high-volume storage. In this system, process water is maintained at the desired temperature using closed-circuit cooling towers, chilled water, or evaporative cooling.

Glycol Cooling

Glycol cooling is a cooling system that utilizes Propylene or Ethylene Glycol—rather than water—as a cooling solution. Glycol cooling is essential for environments where freezing is a significant concern. Glycol cooling can be configured in closed- or open-loop configurations; they can also be configured for water-air-cooled or air-cooled chillers.

Protect Your Investments

Process cooling systems are expensive to modify and many manufacturing facilities attempt to maintain their current equipment well past its effective useful life. And the associated costs of doing so are more expensive than people realize. APenergy wants to help you protect your wallet and guarantee you get the most use out of your systems.

Why Use Process Chiller Systems?

Process chillers are integrated into many industrial applications. Chillers utilize a refrigeration circuit to remove heat from the application using water or glycol cooling solutions. These systems provide many benefits to process cooling, including:

Maintaining a constant, controlled process temperature
Delivering cooling fluid directly to the heat source
Recirculating cooling fluid, reducing waste and cost

The APenergy Process Cooling Method

Every APenergy partnership starts with an energy analysis. Through this analysis, our highly skilled technicians and trade allies inspect your systems to pinpoint where there may be inefficiencies and how to overcome them. Such inefficiencies may be a result of the cooling systems themselves or of the building’s infrastructure.

Many different perspectives come into play during the implementation and consulting process for cooling systems. Here are five things to consider to enhance the energy efficiency of your process cooling system:

Design hydronic loops to operate chillers near design temperature differential
Use variable speed control on compressors with an appropriate condenser water reset
Design and control cooling tower systems for low condenser temperatures
Reset chilled water supply temperature setpoints based on process load
Reset condensing water entering temperature setpoints based on ambient wet bulb temperature

After consulting with an APenergy energy specialist, we discuss utility incentives and funding opportunities to help with the costs of the project. In several cases, we’ve provided enough incentives and funding for the client that they didn’t have any out-of-pocket expenses. For capital projects we can offer a cash-flow positive financing solution which can help relieve maintenance budgets.

Cooling System Client Case Study

APenergy’s key to success is uncovering ways to reduce facility energy usage. Last year, an industrial manufacturing facility reached out to us because they wanted to audit their facility’s cooling systems and implement more energy-efficient practices. Since we have a good reputation with plants in the area, this client knew that APenergy would complete the audit and implementation process quickly, efficiently, and at no risk to their company’s financial resources.

The client initially budgeted this as a future project. However, because of APenergy utility and funding incentive program, they were able to budget it to be an immediate project for their facility operations. This immediate implementation allowed them to reduce years off the payback of their project.

Save Money and Promote Energy Efficiency With APenergy

APenergy specializes in energy efficiency and strives to help manufacturing industries like yours save money and promote a green business model. In addition to process cooling systems, we also partner with plants that look to optimize:

Compressed air
Lighting
Variable speed drives
Thermal insulation
Process improvement
New construction
Production expansion
Hydraulic systems

Connect with us today to save money and reduce facility energy consumption!