R&D Lab Solves Excess-Oil Problem With Help of Oil-Purging System - New technology returns chillers to maximum efficiency

摘要

At the 3M research-and-development facility in Maplewood, Minn., the refrigerant side of each of seven centrifugal chillers, which ranged in age from 5 to 40 years and in tonnage from 3,500 to 5,500, was found to contain excess oil from the compressor. According to Tom Erickson, 3M's plant engineering specialist, the excess oil ran an average of 5 percent per chiller. "Based on performance data that we had, that much excess oil could degrade chiller performance by as much as 11 percent," Erickson said.