Thermodynamic Tools for Chiller Diagnostics and Optimization

The paper presents a new analytical approach to modelling, diagnosing and optimizing real irreversible thermodynamic systems. It focuses on basic uncomplicated irreversible thermodynamic modelling (and numerous supporting experimental data) that provide (1) powerful diagnostic, optimization and predictive methods for commercial chillers, and (2) fundamental yet realistic bounds for actual chiller performance that step beyond the severely unrealistic reversible and endoreversible limits. These methods were illustrated and supported with field case studies of cooling equipment that vary in cooling rate from the order of watts to megawatts.