UNI VERSI TY OF WASHI NGTON Mechanical

Engi neer i ng Ser vi ces

Facility Design Information Process Chilled Water
Basis of Design
This section applies to the design and installation of process chilled water systems.
Programming









Heat reclaimed from cooling systems can be transferred to the Central Cooling Water (CCW)
System from October to May; Discuss with Engineering Services.
Once-through domestic water-cooled process chillers are prohibited except for emergency
back-up.
Some lab equipment may require a decoupled primary/secondary loop to avoid high design
flow pressure drops and internal condensation.
A central building system is preferred. Give special consideration to the location of cooling
towers with respect to contamination of the building fresh air intake and noise to the
occupants and local residential areas.
Provide infrastructurepiping risers, stub outs, etcto support one ton of process cooling for
each lab module (approximately 250 ft
2
). Add additional capacity for specific equipment that
would exceed the one ton per lab module density.
Provide a chiller for the short-term future (10 to 15 years) since the initial process cooling
load will be a fraction of the ultimate load.
Provide redundant capacity for the system where a shutdown is not tolerable. For example, if
the initial load were 40 tons, the installation of three 20 ton machines would be reasonable.
If scroll compressors are considered, then discuss providing chilled water storage with
Engineering Services. .
Design Criteria
Establish project design criteria in writing at a meeting attended by the Department (client),
responsible Mechanical Design Engineer, Refrigeration Shop Supervisor, Engineering
Services and Environmental Health & Safety. Criteria for discussion shall include the
following items:
1) Chiller type
2) Chiller refrigerant; see Refrigeration section
3) Cooling tower type
4) Cooling tower air intake and discharge locations
5) Cooling tower chemical treatment system
6) Equipment location
7) Reliability of the system, i.e. quantity of equipment for maintenance and repair work
8) Humidity requirements
9) Future system expansion provisions
10) Special equipment cooling requirements, e.g. lasers
11) Chiller room alarm monitoring and ventilation
REV:02 SEPT2005 15K - 01

UNI VERSI TY OF WASHI NGTON Mechanical
Engi neer i ng Ser vi ces
Facility Design Information Process Chilled Water















Provide equipment with weatherproof enclosures and screening if roof mounting is required.
Size the chilled water distribution piping for the ultimate load. Size piping using a minimum
velocity of 2 feet/second and a maximum velocity of 7 feet/second.
Use a design supply water temperature of 42 F. The return water temperature should take
into account the initial load but should be a minimum of 12 F higher than the supply.
Use a system differential pressure of 20 psi. Locate the differential pressure controller two

thirds of the distance to the most distant point of the system. For pipe sizing, calculate the
piping loss using the ultimate flow values.
Depending on the level of reliability required for the system, the following equipment may
need to be on the emergency power for non-life safety systems. All additions to the
emergency power for non-life safety systems must be discussed with Engineering Services.
Emergency power for non-life safety systems is limited.
1) Chilled water circulating pumps
2) Chillers if the water temperature needs to be maintained during power outages
3) Tower fan and circulating pumps if chiller is on emergency power
Locate chillers in the basement mechanical room for the best vibration isolation situation.
Provide stand-by pumps for both the chilled water and condenser water systems.
Use glycol to prevent freezing of condenser or chilled water coils exposed to sub-freezing
outside air.
Provide an expansion tank fitted with automatic fill, overflow, and gauge glass for the chilled
water system.
Provide controls that prevent the chiller from operating unless chilled water pump, condenser
water pump, condenser fan, etc. are operating.
Flow/No-Flow switches to verify pump operation shall have no moving parts and use heat
dissipation of the chilled water or condenser water to sense flow.
Provide a heat exchanger in the condenser water line to allow waste heat to be dumped to
the Central Cooling Water (CCW) system or to other processes as approved by Engineering
Services. The CCW system is used as the heat sink in the winter and will allow the heat to
be used in other buildings.
Provide a refrigerant sensing/measuring device and adequate ventilation for chiller rooms.
Vent the refrigerant safety valve outside the building.
Provide access platforms as required for cooling tower maintenance.
Provide a refrigerant leak detection system that is compatible with the building Fire Alarm
System. Refrigerant leak alarm devices (lights and horns) shall be driven by the Fire Alarm
System. The Fire Alarm System shall monitor the following functions: a refrigerant leak, a
refrigerant leak detection panel fault condition, failure of the supply and/or exhaust fan for the
refrigeration machinery room. Discuss details with Engineering Services.
Design Evaluation
The following information is required to evaluate the design:
15K - 02 REV:02 SEPT2005

UNI VERSI TY OF WASHI NGTON Mechanical
Engi neer i ng Ser vi ces
Facility Design Information Process Chilled Water
Schematic Design Phase: Provide project design criteria, location of cooling tower exhaust
relative to the building outside air intake, location of header, location of pipe chase,
preliminary one-line system diagram and energy balance; identify all special occupancy
zones and systems.
Design Development Phase: Provide outline specifications, process chilled water system
diagram, refrigeration piping schematics (if not standard system), and piping plans

Construction Document Phase: Provide final one-line system diagram, pipe sizes, coil detail,
and design calculations.

Construction Submittals

















Provide standard industry submittal requirements.
Related Sections
Basic Mechanical Materials and Methods
Piping
Identification
Insulation
Central Cooling Water
HVAC
Refrigeration
Environmental Control Systems
Testing, Adjusting and Balancing
Commissioning
Products, Material and Equipment
See Piping section for pipe and fitting material.
Provide centrifugal type compressors.
Provide HCFC refrigerant 134a for new equipment.
Installation, Fabrication and Construction
Demonstrate coordination of chiller controls with the DDC system.
Locate the chilled water loop for each floor in the corridor, easily accessible to all spaces.
Isolation valves for each space should be located in the most accessible area (either in the
corridor ceiling space or inside the room.)
Subject completed systems to an operating test as stipulated in the Mechanical Refrigeration
Ordinance, Field Test Section, 14.1-3 and instructions, 15.1-7. The University's
Representative shall witness this test.
REV:02 SEPT2005 15K - 03

UNI VERSI TY OF WASHI NGTON Mechanical
Engi neer i ng Ser vi ces
Facility Design Information Process Chilled Water
The basic system is shown on detail Building Process Chilled Water System at the end of this
section.
Detail: CCW Subsystems Installation Diagram
Detail: Building Process Chilled Water System

END OF DESIGN INFORMATION SECTION
15K - 04 REV:02 SEPT2005