High Ambient Configuration
The High-Ambient Configuration is designed for applications where a compatible ATC chiller will operate in elevated ambient temperatures.
Air-cooled chillers reject process heat into the surrounding air. As ambient temperature increases, the temperature difference available for heat rejection reduces, which can affect the cooling performance of the system.
The High-Ambient configuration uses a higher-speed fan to increase airflow through the condenser, supporting chiller operation where surrounding temperatures are higher than those suited to the standard air-cooled configuration.
A High-Ambient Configuration may be appropriate where:
- The chiller will operate in an environment with elevated temperatures
- High temperatures are expected around the chiller during normal operation
- The installation environment makes heat rejection more challenging
- The required operating conditions fall outside those suitable for the standard air-cooled configuration
Ambient conditions should be considered alongside the required process temperature and cooling duty when selecting a chiller.
Installation Considerations
A High-Ambient configuration helps the chiller to accommodate elevated surrounding temperatures, but appropriate installation remains important.
Sufficient space and ventilation should be provided around the chiller to allow adequate airflow through the condenser and to prevent discharged warm air from being drawn back into the unit.
Higher fan speeds may also result in increased operating noise compared with the standard configuration, which should also be considered when selecting the installation location.
The High-Ambient configuration is available on selected ATC chiller models and forms part of the chiller specification rather than being supplied as an accessory.
High-Ambient and Water-Cooled configurations cannot be combined. The appropriate configuration should therefore be selected according to the application’s operating environment and installation requirements.
If your chiller will operate in elevated ambient temperatures, speak to the ATC team about the expected ambient temperature, required process temperature, and cooling duty so that we can help to identify an appropriate configuration.
