Technical Glossary

Unit of refrigeration capacity measurement. 1 TR equals 12,000 BTU/h or 3.517 kW. Represents the amount of heat needed to melt one ton of ice in 24 hours. It is the standard unit for sizing industrial chillers.

Imperial system thermal energy unit. 1 BTU is the amount of heat needed to raise the temperature of 1 pound of water by 1°F. In refrigeration, BTU/h is used to indicate heat removal capacity per hour.

Energy efficiency index that relates refrigeration capacity to electrical power consumption. A COP of 4.0 means that for every 1 kW of electrical energy consumed, the equipment produces 4 kW of cooling. The higher the COP, the more efficient the equipment.

Energy efficiency ratio measured in BTU/h per Watt. Indicates the cooling capacity in BTU/h divided by electrical power in Watts. Mainly used at full load conditions and outdoor temperature of 35°C.

Efficiency index that considers chiller performance at different partial loads (25%, 50%, 75% and 100%). Better reflects the real efficiency of the equipment, since chillers rarely operate at full load. Higher values indicate greater efficiency in real operation.

Seasonal energy efficiency index that considers temperature variations throughout the year. Calculates the weighted average of efficiency under different climatic conditions. More representative for thermal comfort applications.

Refrigeration equipment that removes heat from a liquid (usually water) through a vapor compression or absorption cycle. The chilled water produced is distributed to cool industrial processes, environments or equipment.

Precision air conditioner specifically designed for data centers and server rooms. Offers precise temperature control (±0.5°C) and humidity, with high sensible heat removal capacity and air filtration.

Similar to CRAC, but uses chilled water from a central chiller instead of its own compressor. More energy efficient for large data centers, allowing economies of scale in chilled water production.

Terminal air conditioning unit composed of fan and coil. Receives chilled or hot water from a central system and distributes conditioned air in the environment. Available in floor, ceiling, wall or duct versions.

Equipment that treats air before distributing it to environments. Performs filtration, heating, cooling, humidification and dehumidification. Essential for environments requiring controlled air quality, such as hospitals and laboratories.

Equipment that maintains the temperature of an industrial process within precise ranges, being able to heat or cool as needed. Widely used in plastic injection molding machines, extruders and chemical processes.

Heat exchanger where the refrigerant in gaseous state releases heat to the external environment and transforms into liquid. Can be air-cooled (with fans) or water-cooled (with cooling tower).

Heat exchanger where the liquid refrigerant absorbs heat from the medium to be cooled and evaporates. This is where the actual cooling effect occurs. In chillers, it cools the water circulating through the system.

Component that compresses the refrigerant gas, increasing its pressure and temperature. Common types include scroll, screw, centrifugal and reciprocating. The compressor type directly influences the efficiency and capacity of the system.

Substance that circulates in the refrigeration system, absorbing and releasing heat through state changes. Examples include R-410A, R-32, R-134a and ammonia (R-717). The choice of refrigerant affects efficiency, safety and environmental impact.

Index that measures the global warming potential of a gas relative to CO2 (which has GWP = 1). Refrigerants with low GWP are preferred for their lower environmental impact. R-32 (GWP 675) is more sustainable than R-410A (GWP 2088).

Temperature difference between water inlet and outlet in the chiller or process. A typical ΔT in chilled water systems is 5°C to 6°C. Higher values indicate greater heat transfer per volume of water.

Target temperature programmed in the equipment controller. The system works to keep the water or air outlet temperature as close as possible to the defined setpoint.

Amount of heat that must be removed from an environment or process to maintain the desired temperature. It is the basis for sizing refrigeration and air conditioning systems. Measured in kW, BTU/h or TR.

Fundamental refrigeration engineering concepts that differentiate the net refrigeration effect (evaporator capacity) from the total compressor capacity, including non-useful superheat in the suction line.