Screw Chillers- Types, Working, and Applications

Screw chillers are used in air, as well as water chillers. They are great for small to medium cooling loads and are available in 70 to 600 tons, 250 to 2100 kW.

These compressors use two interlocking rotating rotors that compress the refrigerant. Their capacity is controlled through the speed control or slider.

Types of screw chiller:

It is important to know the types of screw chillers to select the right one as per the application. Screw compressors can be single-screw or twin-screw.

·         The single-screw compressor type screw chiller

It consists of gate rotors and one main rotor, which is the driving rotor. It meshes with gate rotors and performs the compression process.

·         The twin-screw compressor type screw chiller

In this kind of compressor, there are two helical grooved rotors. When the two rotors mesh, the fluid flows. This type of compressor is used in industrial and commercial applications.

Working of a screw chiller

Normally, the male rotor is the one that is connected to the motor. It is the driving rotor. The female rotor is driven by it. When these two rotors rotate, the grooves' volume comes down, and as a result of this, refrigerant compresses.

The process starts when the inlet port sucks the refrigerant. In the next step, the tooth space is reduced when the seal line moves in the direction of discharge. It is the stage when compression happens. Compression continues till both the rotors reach the discharge port. The tooth space then discharges the refrigerant with a seal line at discharge.

Applications of screw chiller

A screw compressor is used across many industries. A screw chiller is counted as the most essential product for food cooling, and pressurized transport, and agitation in the food processing industry.

Some other applications of screw compressors include pharmaceutical facilities, machinery, electronics, civil engineering, construction, pulp and paper, automobiles, electronics, theme parks, and more!

The bottom line

The screw compressor is one of the most important parts of the machinery, and hence, it has an array of applications ranging across various industries.