How to Size an Industrial Chiller

By Rite Temp on 4/24/2025

Selecting the right industrial chiller is critical to maintaining efficiency, reducing downtime, and controlling costs in manufacturing and process cooling. An undersized chiller struggles to meet cooling demands, while an oversized unit wastes energy and increases expenses. At Rite Temp, we’ve been building custom industrial water chillers in Rogers, AR, for decades, helping businesses optimize their cooling systems. In this guide, we’ll walk you through the key steps to size an industrial chiller accurately, ensuring your process runs smoothly in 2025 and beyond.

Why Proper Chiller Sizing Matters

Industrial chillers cool equipment, processes, or facilities in industries like plastics, metalworking, food processing, and pharmaceuticals. Incorrect sizing can lead to:

Inefficiency: Undersized chillers overwork, spiking energy costs and wearing out components.
Downtime: Insufficient cooling causes process interruptions or equipment failure.
Higher Costs: Oversized chillers increase upfront costs and operational expenses due to excess capacity.

Proper sizing matches the chiller’s cooling capacity to your specific needs, balancing performance and cost. Let’s dive into the steps to get it right.

Step 1: Understand Your Cooling Load

The cooling load is the amount of heat your chiller must remove, measured in tons (1 ton = 12,000 BTU/hour). To calculate it, consider:

Process Heat Generation: Identify heat sources, such as injection molding machines, lasers, or chemical reactors. Check equipment specs for heat output (in BTU/hour or kW).
Material Throughput: For processes like plastics extrusion, calculate the heat added by material volume. For example, cooling 100 lbs/hour of polyethylene from 300°F to 100°F requires significant capacity.
Ambient Conditions: Factor in the facility’s temperature and humidity, especially in warm climates like Arkansas. Higher ambient temperatures increase the chiller’s workload.

Example: A plastics manufacturer needs to cool 200 lbs/hour of material from 350°F to 80°F. The specific heat of the material is 0.5 BTU/lb°F, and the process adds 50,000 BTU/hour from equipment. The cooling load is:

Material cooling: 200 lbs × (350°F - 80°F) × 0.5 BTU/lb°F = 27,000 BTU/hour.

Equipment heat: 50,000 BTU/hour.

Total: 77,000 BTU/hour ÷ 12,000 = ~6.4 tons.

Add a 20% safety margin (6.4 × 1.2 = 7.7 tons) to account for fluctuations.

Step 2: Determine Fluid and Flow Requirements

Chillers use water or a water-glycol mix to transfer heat. The fluid type and flow rate impact sizing:

Fluid Type: Water is common, but glycol is used for low-temperature applications (e.g., below 40°F). Glycol reduces efficiency, requiring a larger chiller.

Flow Rate: Calculate the gallons per minute (GPM) needed based on the cooling load. A rule of thumb is 2.4 GPM per ton for water at a 10°F temperature differential (ΔT).

Example: A 7.7-ton chiller needs ~18.5 GPM (7.7 × 2.4).

Consult your process specs to confirm fluid temperature and pressure requirements. Rite Temp's engineers can help match fluid dynamics to your application.

Step 3: Account for Environment and Operation Factors

External conditions affect chiller performance:

Ambient Temperature: Air-cooled chillers lose efficiency in hot environments. For Rogers, AR, where summer temperatures hit 90°F, select a chiller rated for high ambient conditions.
Altitude: Higher altitudes reduce air density, impacting air-cooled chiller performance. Adjust capacity if your facility is above 1,000 feet.
Duty Cycle: Continuous processes need robust chillers, while intermittent loads may allow smaller units.

For water-cooled chillers, consider cooling tower availability and water quality to prevent scaling or corrosion.

Step 4: Choose the Right Chiller Type

Rite Temp offers portable, stationary, and custom chillers to suit various needs:

Portable Chillers: Ideal for small or mobile processes (1-20 tons), like spot cooling for CNC machines.
Stationary Chillers: Suited for large, centralized systems (20-200+ tons), common in metalworking or chemical plants.
Custom Chillers: Designed for unique applications, such as low-temperature cooling for pharmaceutical reactors.

Select air-cooled for simplicity or water-cooled for efficiency in large-scale operations. Your cooling load and facility layout will guide this choice.

Step 5: Consult with Experts and Verify

Sizing a chiller involves complex calculations, and small errors can lead to big problems. Partner with a manufacturer like Rite Temp to:

Validate Calculations: Our engineers review your load, fluid, and environmental data to recommend the optimal chiller.
Consider Future Needs: Plan for process expansions to avoid outgrowing your chiller.
Test Performance: After installation, monitor the chiller’s performance to ensure it meets your load.

Use tools like load calculators or consult ASHRAE guidelines for precision. Rite Temp's team in Rogers, AR, provides on-site assessments to streamline the process.

Why Choose Rite Temp?

At Rite Temp, we’ve built industrial chillers for over 30 years, tailoring solutions for plastics, metalworking, and more. Our Rogers, AR, facility produces reliable, energy-efficient chillers backed by local support. Whether you need a 5-ton portable unit or a 100-ton custom system, we ensure your process stays cool and efficient.

Get Started Today

Sizing an industrial chiller doesn’t have to be daunting. Start by calculating your cooling load, factoring in fluid and environmental conditions, and choosing the right chiller type. For expert guidance, contact Rite Temp to explore our chiller solutions. Let’s keep your process running smoothly!