21 May 2020
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Armstrong Fluid Technology says a new control solution will enable operating efficiencies of chiller plants to be improved significantly, delivering energy savings of up to 45% and water savings of up to 12%.
TowerMax is add-on software for Armstrong’s Design Envelope 9521 Integrated Plant Control System. It is said to reduce energy and water usage by harnessing Armstrong’s advanced relational control technology to optimise the operation of chiller plant.
At the heart of the solution is the Armstrong DE 9521, which controls the entire plant, including cooling towers, chilled water pumps and condenser pumps in addition to the water-cooled chillers. Lower installed cost is possible with this solution, as Onboard Sensorless technology (already resident in the pumps and other system components) eliminates the need for external sensors and the related installation costs. Operational costs are also minimised as heat transfer across the plant is controlled accurately and optimised, whilst Armstrong’s Active Performance Management technology facilitates real time capacity calculation and condition-based maintenance. Armstrong says the cooling supplied for the building is automatically matched more closely to changes in demand, and the system identifies potential maintenance issues before they impact on efficiency to optimise lifetime performance of the plant.
The Armstrong DE 9521 control system integrates with all brands of chillers, pumps and automation systems, and is designed as an ‘out of the box’ solution for faster installation. It is able to operate independently or via seamless connection with any central BMS. Real-time optimisation is provided by Armstrong’s ECO*Pulse performance management service, and TowerMax has been launched as an add-on to this system to drive further efficiency improvements in chiller plant operation.
Capabilities of the Armstrong DE 9521 system with ECO*Pulse and TowerMax include the ability to control either identical or non-identical chillers (in this scenario ‘identical’ refers to chillers of the same make and model, same tonnage, same minimum flow and same interface). Up to five chillers, five cooling towers and five pumps can be controlled, and there are no limitations on plant size and cooling capacity. All five chillers can be different sizes, and employing up to two different communication interfaces. Pumps can also be of different sizes.
The solution is available for new installations, or as Armstrong’s new Design Envelope IPC 9521 with TowerMax energy upgrade in existing sites.
