How can I specify a chiller?
Selecting the right recirculating chiller starts with understanding your process rather than matching the size or specification of an existing unit. Cooling capacity, temperature, flow, coolant, ambient conditions, and the hydraulic characteristics of your system can all influence which chiller and pump configuration is most appropriate.
Our Sales and Engineering teams can help you to identify a suitable solution from our standard chiller range. To get started, we recommend providing as much of the following information as possible:
1. What are you cooling?
Tell us about the equipment or process that requires cooling and how the chiller will be integrated into your system. Understanding the application gives us important context when assessing your requirements.
2. What is your heat load?
The heat load is the amount of heat that the chiller needs to remove from your process and is normally expressed in kW.
This is one of the most important pieces of information when sizing a chiller. Electrical power consumption or the power rating shown on an existing piece of equipment should not automatically be treated as its cooling requirement.
Where possible, provide a calculated or measured process heat load.
3. What fluid temperature do you require?
Tell us the required coolant temperature or operating setpoint.
Cooling capacity varies with operating temperature, so the required temperature must be considered alongside the heat load. Applications requiring particularly low or high fluid temperature may also require an appropriate Option Pack
4. What flow rate does your process require?
Your required process flow should normally be provided in litres per minute (L/min).
The pump within the chiller circulates coolant through your application, but its actual operating performance depends on the resistance within the complete system.
5. Is there a pressure requirement?
It is important to distinguish between flow and pressure when specifying a chiller.
A pump creates flow. Pressure develops as that flow encounters resistance within your pipework, fittings, process equipment, and other components.
For this reason, a requirement such as “20L/min at 5 bar” is only useful for pump selection where the pressure requirement is based on the actual system design, calculation, or measured pressure drop at that flow rate.
If you are unsure about the pressure drop through your system, let us know. Our Engineering team can review the information available rather than selecting a pump based on an unverified pressure figure.
6. What coolant will you be using?
Tell us which process fluid will circulate through the chiller.
Fluid type can affect heat transfer and hydraulic performance and should therefore be considered when selecting the equipment. If you are unsure which coolant is suitable for your application, our team can advise on compatibility with our standard product range.
7. What are the ambient conditions?
We will also need to understand the environment in which the chiller will operate, including the expected ambient temperature.
This is particularly important where equipment will operate in unusually warm or cold conditions. Depending on the chiller model and application, a High-Ambient or Water-Cooled Configuration may be available for warmer environments.
8. What electrical supply is available?
Please provide the voltage, phase, and frequency available at the installation location. Electrical configurations vary across the product range and by market, so this should be confirmed as part of the selection process.
Choosing the Right Pump
ATC recirculating chillers are available with different pump types and capacities depending on the model.
Centrifugal pumps provide variable flow depending on the resistance of the connected system. They are generally suited to applications requiring higher flow at comparatively lower pressure.
Positive displacement pumps provide a more consistent flow as system resistance increases and incorporate bypass protection.
Pump curves can help to determine the likely operating point of a pump within a system. However, actual performance is influenced by factors including coolant type, temperature, pipework, fittings, and overall system design.
Configurations, Option Packs, and Accessories
Once the basic chiller and pump requirements have been established, we can consider whether your application would benefit from any of our standard configurations, factory-fitted Option Packs, or external Accessory Packs.
Compatibility varies between chiller models, and some configurations cannot be combined.
Do I need communications?
For applications where the chiller will be integrated into a wider machine, test system, or automated process, consider how you need to communicate with the chiller.
RS485 communications and Volt-Free Contacts are standard on MG, G, and H-Series units, providing interfaces for integration with external equipment such as a PLC or control system.
RS485 can be used for functions including remote setpoint control. Volt-Free Contacts provide status signals that can be monitored by an external control system.
If you require remote stop/start, please specify this separately. RS485 does not provide remote stop/start functionality on ATC chillers; a dedicated Remote Stop/Start Option Pack is available where compatible.
What if my requirements fall outside the standard range?
Our current chiller range is built around predefined, validated configurations, Option Packs, and Accessory packs. This helps us to provide consistent product performance, quality, support, and predictable lead times.
If your application requires something outside the standard offering, we may still be able to help. Non-standard requirements are reviewed by out Engineering team to assess technical feasibility, compatibility, regulatory requirements, and expected performance before a solution is proposed.
Talk to our team
You do not need to have every detail confirmed before contacting us. However, the more information you can provide about your application, heat load, required fluid temperature, flow rate, coolant, system pressure drop, ambient conditions, and electrical supply, the more accurately we can assess your requirements.
If any aspect of your process is uncertain, our Sales and Engineering teams can help to identify the information required before recommending a chiller.
