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Definition of chiller and refrigerator
Among consumers of home and industrial cooling systems, chillers and refrigerators seem quite familiar. But the question that often arises is what is the difference between a chiller and a refrigerator, which are the most widely used cooling devices? To answer this question, it is better to get more familiar with the main nature of chillers and refrigerators to understand the differences between chillers and home or industrial refrigerators.
What is a chiller?
The chiller can be thought of as a cooling system that cools the material by removing heat from the liquid through the vapor condensation or adsorption cycle. The liquid is transferred to the cold equipment through a heat exchanger. In a chiller system, a liquid always acts as a refrigerant that passes through a heat exchanger to transfer heat energy. When heat is absorbed by the liquid, the material cools.
What is a refrigerator?
A refrigerator is a home appliance that can keep food and drink cool using ice or mechanical refrigeration. In the process of working the refrigerator, the refrigerant can circulate inside it and turn from liquid to gas. Therefore, the surrounding environment can be cooled to achieve the desired effect.
The difference between a chiller and a refrigerator
Both chillers and refrigerators are cooling devices. The principle of their work is basically the same, that is, they absorb heat from the material. The three main differences between chillers and refrigerators are described below:
Different cooling temperature ranges
Chillers can reduce the temperature of liquids in the range of 7 to -1 degrees Celsius, while refrigerators can be used to cool objects as well as in the temperature range of 3 to 5 degrees Celsius.
Different cooling materials and fields of application
Chillers are commonly used to reduce the temperature of liquids and to cool materials and chemicals used in industrial, chemical, biological, and other fields. However, refrigerators are mostly used to preserve food and keep it fresh, and are very popular in homes. Consumption and application market may be the main difference between chiller and refrigerator.
Different sizes
Chiller and refrigerator sizes are often the most obvious difference. Due to their different applications, laboratory chillers are usually smaller in size than home refrigerators, while industrial chillers are larger in size than refrigerators.
Types of chillers
Depending on the type of condenser, the types of chillers used in different industries are:
- Cool air chillers
- Cool water chillers
- Compression chillers
As the name implies, air-cooled chillers use air to remove heat from the condenser using fans to force air into the pipes exposed to the condenser, while cold-water chillers use water to remove heat with They use pumps to send water through water. The latter sealed condenser is generally more energy efficient than cool air chillers. Compression chillers can compress a substance from a gas to a liquid state by cooling it. The heat is then released by the material and transferred to the surrounding environment. It is usually considered as an alternative to cold air or cold water chillers.
