WATER COOLED CONDENSER
In air conditioning, we know three types of condensers: air-cooled, water-cooled and evaporative. These types differ in how they remove excess heat:
- Air-cooled condensers remove heat by blowing air over the condenser coil. see how an air cooled condenser works
- Water-cooled condensers remove heat by pouring water over the condenser coil
- Evaporative condensers (often also called swamp coolers) do not typically use a refrigerant. They remove heat by allowing water to evaporate directly into the air. They work only in climate where the humidity is very low.
Air-cooled condensers are by far the most common type of condenser in residential systems. Water cooled likewise air cooled condenser find its application for all split type air conditioners - wall, floor or ceiling mounted, cassette etc. (see about air condition).
As its names says, it uses water as a chiller to remove heat from the high temperature gas in the (usually but not always outside) compressor/condenser unit.
A water cooled condensing unit uses about 0.6KW/ ton, whereof an air cooled condensing unit uses approx. 1.2 - 1.6 KW/ ton, depending on the air condition brand. The beauty of the water cooled condenser is that if the system is properly designed, it can be applied as heat recovery solutions, e.g. heat transfer to third party such as swimming pool etc. (see therefore heat recovery & water cooled condenser below).
(see how a water cooled condenser works)
1. OPEN LOOP
the system consists of min.: a split type air condition with a water cooled condensing unit, a cooling tower that reduces the temperature of the inflowing water, and a pump that pumps the cooled water back to the condensing unit.
The condensing unit is running whenever the air condition is switched on; it is connected to a piping system that brings in water at a temperature of approx. 28 C, the water flows through the condensing unit whereby exchanging heat, reducing heat within the condenser and increasing heat in the water medium. The water then flows back into a cooling tower, where it is cooled by 4 - 5C.
2. CLOSED LOOP
the system consists of min.: a split type air condition with a water cooled condensing unit, a plate heat exchanger, a water source, two pumps.
The condensing unit is running whenever the air condition is switched on; it is connected to a piping system in which, with the support from a pump, water circulates to and from a heat exchanger. The water source can be a lake, a swimming pool, a canal, a pond etc. with a piping system from and to, with the support from a pump, the plate heat exchanger. The heat exchanger is the medium that exchanges both water mediums heat - cooling one and heating the other.
HEAT RECOVERY & WATER COOLED CONDENSER
heat recovery applied with a water cooled condenser can be applied to both open & closed loop systems, taping on the heat from the condensing unit by using a heat recovery tank. To improve the understanding of this system, see this diagram.
See also details heat recovery tank.