Hitachi Plant Technologies Ltd., a Japanese manufacturer and distributor of social and industrial infrastructure systems, announced in February 2008 that it has developed a new energy-saving heat source system, the "Cool Assist System." This system is exemplary of the company's long years of experience and expertise and is currently awaiting trademark registration. The system provides automatic control in energy-saving free cooling systems by digitalizing their on-off logic.

Free cooling systems utilize cold water from an external water cooling tower to supplement the operation of chillers, machines that remove heat from liquids used in large-scale industrial processes, air conditioning, etc.. Conventionally, a chiller's temperature is kept at the lowest setting so that sufficiently cold water is available for cooling, but this system allows cooling water to be supplied at a temperature more precisely suitable to conditions and the job at hand.

The Hitachi system can automatically select the proper operation mode depending on outdoor temperatures and operation loads, such as using only chillers in summer, chillers together with free cooling during mild weather, and free cooling only in winter. Hydraulic separation of the chilled water circulation system according to temperature and use allows the system to supply the optimum temperature of chilled water. In addition, cooling towers that are part of a chiller-based system are usually closed down in winter and often in mild seasons, but in this system they are put to use as an apparatus for free cooling, enabling dual-mode operation. These innovations achieved a longer operational period for free cooling and a reduction in the consumption of energy by heat source equipment by about 30 percent compared to Hitachi's conventional systems.

Additionally, the company has developed a simulation tool with which the annual energy consumption and pay-off period for purchasing the system can be calculated using parameters such as the configuration of chillers and cooling towers (capacity and number of units), ambient air conditions, heat load, and initial cost. The simulation can be used to support the customer's investment decisions and as a design aid for analysis of installation effects.

http://www.hitachi-pt.com/index.html

Posted: 2008/07/16 04:58:51 PM

TAG Eco-product/Business , Energy , Manufacturing industry