CHILLED WATER PRIMARY/SECONDARY VARIABLE FLOW SYSTEMS. Multiple chiller plants use primary/ secondary variable flow configuration.

There are two loops in this set up. One is plant side loop. It includes chillers, primary pumps and decoupler line. It makes a complete circuit. Primary pumps are low head pumps. They are selected to meet head of this circuit only. This circuit is called primary loop. Second circuit is the system loop or secondary loop. It comprises secondary pump, piping network in the building and all air side equipment. Secondary pump covers friction losses of piping system, cooling coils, control valves, all fittings and return piping up to cross over bridge. Secondary pump is variable speed pump. Primary pump is constant speed pump. When air conditioning loads in the building drops, it requires less water to meet building needs. Providing same volume of water at these conditions is wastage of pumping energy. Therefore, secondary pump varies its speed according to building requirements. Pressure differential transducer is installed at the remote leg of piping circuit. When number of control valves close due to drop in cooling demand, pressure in the pipe lines increases. Control valves on air side equipment are two way types. These reduce flow of water to the coil. Less flow to the coils increases pressure in the lines. Increased pressure is sensed by differential pressure sensor in the lines. This signal is transmitted to controller which reduces secondary pump speed to maintain required pressure differential in the lines. When flow of water in the secondary circuit increases, water flows in the crossover bridge in reverse direction. It mixes with supply water from chiller and increases supply water temperature to the cooling coils. Warmer water is unable to meet air handling unit requirement. Due to this, control valves open more under these conditions. Desirable direction in decoupler line is from primary supply to primary return. In this case primary water flow exceeds secondary water flow. When excess water is equal to a chiller capacity, one chiller is taken out of circuit or destaged. For this purpose flow meter is installed in decoupler line. For chiller staging, bidirectional flow sensor is used to ascertain direction of flow. When this sensor reads flow from secondary return to secondary supply, it starts a new chiller. It means there is more demand of cooling in the building. Size of decoupler line is kept equal to pump header size. It is long enough to minimize sharp bends before and after flow meter and water flow sensor. Diameter is kept large to minimize pressure drop through this line.