Views: 487 Author: Site Editor Publish Time: 2026-01-09 Origin: Site
For the cooling and heating needs of modern commercial and industrial scenarios, unit cabinet air conditioners and chillersystems are two different options.The right choice is conducive to achieving better energy saving and cost reduction. This article will introduce the differences andadvantagesof the two products to help you makea better choice.
Figure 1-Ruidong's cabinet air conditioning and chiller systems
The core difference between cabinet type air conditioning unit and chiller systems
Working Principle
(a) Cabinet type air conditioning unit:
It is an integrated air-cooled/water-cooled unit that integrates a compressor, evaporator, condenser, and throttling components. It uses refrigerant as the core heat exchange medium throughout tthe entire process, without the need for a secondary medium, to complete the cooling/heating cycle.
l Refrigeration principle: The compressor compresses the gaseous refrigerant into a high-temperature, high-pressure gas → The outdoor condenser dissipates heat through the fan, and therefrigerant liquefies → The throttling device reduces the pressure and temperature, forming a low-temperature, low-pressure liquid refrigerant → The indoorevaporator absorbs heat from the air, and the refrigerant evaporates into a gaseous state → It returns to the compressor to complete the cycle.
l Heating principle: By switching the refrigerant flow through a four-way valve, the outdoor evaporator absorbs heat from the air, while the indoor condenser releases heat, directly heating the indoor air.
Unit cabinet air conditioners are flexible, convenient, and ready to use immediately, suitable for decentralized, small-area cooling and heating needs.
Figure 2-Advantages of cabinet air conditioners
(b) Chiller System:
This is a centralized cold and heat source system. The core mechanism involves cooling water into chilled water using a compressor, then circulating the chilled water through a water circulation system to the terminal devices (fan coil units, modular air conditioning units), where heat is exchanged between the terminals and the indoor air. This two-stage heat exchange cycle requires terminal devices to achieve temperature control. The workflow consists of two main parts:
l Cold water preparation process (internal circulation of the main unit): The compressor compresses the refrigerant→the condenser (water-cooled/air-cooled) dissipates heat and liquefies the refrigerant→the throttling component reduces the pressure→the evaporator exchanges heat with the water to cool the circulating water→the low-temperature cold water is delivered to the circulating water pump.
l Terminal heat exchange stage (indoor circulation): Low-temperature chilled water is transported through pipelines to terminal equipment such as fan coil units and combined air conditioning cabinets→The terminal fan drives the indoor air to exchange heat with the chilled water pipeline, reducing the air temperature→The heated chilled water flows back to the chiller main unit for re-cooling, completing the circulation.
Chiller systems can achieve centralized cooling, high efficiency and energy saving, and are suitable for large-area and large-scale temperature control needs.
Comparison of features between cabinet type air conditioning unit and chillers system:
Cabinet Type Air Conditioning Unit | Chiller System | |
Control Method | Each unit can be started and stopped individually as needed, allowing for flexible operation. | Chiller system requires centralized control and must be equipped with water pumps, cooling towers (water-cooled), and terminal equipment. The control logic is more complex, requiring coordinated adjustment of water flow and temperature. |
Energy Efficiency Performance | The unit has a moderate energy efficiency ratio, but is greatly affected ambient temperature, making it suitable for small-area, distributed applications. | The system has higher overall energy efficiency, and its energy-saving advantages are significant when applied on a large scale. |
Installation and Maintenance |
Installation is simple, requiring no additional equipment; Low single-machine maintenance cost. | The installation is complex, requiring the laying of water circulation pipes and the installation of cooling towers/water pumps. Maintenance involves multiple components, resulting in high ongoing operation and maintenance costs. |
Initial Investment Cost | Low unit cost, suitable for small-scale, low-cost deployment scenarios. | High initial investment; suitable for large-scale projects with long-term stable operation. |
Maintenance Difficulty |
Low cost, easy to replace parts, no professional team required. | The system is complex, involving multiple devices such as main units, water pumps, and cooling towers, requiring regular inspections of the pipelines and control systems. |
Installation Cycle | Installation and debugging can be completed in 1-2 days per unit. | The process is lengthy, requiring pipeline laying and system integration debugging, with a cycle of 15-60 days. |
Applicable scale | Small-area, distributed demand. | Large-area, centralized temperature control needs. |
Specific application scenarios of unit cabinet type air conditioning unit and chiller systems
Core application scenarios of cabinet type air conditioning unit
1. Commercial retail terminals
Small commercial spaces such as convenience stores, community supermarkets, brand stores, and milk tea shops, covering areas of 50-200 square meters, support on-demand start-up and shutdown, and are flexible and energy-saving.
2. Local areas of industrial production
Precision equipment workstations, office partitions, and quality inspection rooms within the workshop can serve as a supplement to centralized air conditioning, enabling precise localized temperature control.
3. Supplementary space for office and public buildings
In office building conference rooms, tea rooms, school offices, hospital clinics, etc., the problem of uneven central air conditioning coverage is solved, and the comfort of these areas is improved.
4. Warehousing and small data centers
For small warehouses, community monitoring rooms, and enterprise server rooms where temperature and humidity requirements are not high, basic environmental control needs are met.
Core application scenarios of chiller systems
1. Large-scale commercial complex
Urban shopping malls, star-rated hotels, and high-end office buildings can utilize fan coil units and fresh air systems to achieve constant temperature and humidity control throughout the entire building, balancing comfort and management efficiency.
2. Large-scale industrial production base
Pharmaceutical and chemical workshops and food processing workshops require strict control of ambient temperature and humidity. Chillers combined with duct systems are used to achieve uniform temperature control throughout the entire area.
In large machinery processing plants, the large amount of waste heat generated by the continuous operation of equipment is addressed by cooling the entire workshop and improving the working environment.
3. Data Centers and Communications Hubs
City-level data centers and cloud computing bases have extremely high demands for server cluster heat dissipation. Chiller systems can provide large flow rates of low-temperature chilled water, which, when combined with precision air conditioning terminals, ensures stable operation.
4. Public buildings and municipal projects
Centralized cooling and unified management are suitable for densely populated and spacious places such as schools, hospitals, government office buildings, convention centers, and transportation hubs.
Cabinet type air conditioning unit + chiller combined application mode
In complex scenarios such as large industrial parks and integrated factories, a combination of "chilled water system + unit cabinet air conditioner" can be adopted: the main area uses a chilled water system to achieve centralized and efficient temperature control, while local special or temporary areas are equipped with unit cabinet air conditioners, taking into account both flexibility and economy.
Figure 3-Application of cabinet air conditioners
Selection Recommendations
There is no absolute superiority or inferiority between cabinet type air conditioning unit and chiller systems; the key is to match actual needs. A comprehensive approach should be taken into consideration when selecting a system.
Spatial Scale and Layout: Dispersed small areas vs. concentrated large areas.
Temperature Control Requirements: Precise local control vs. uniform overall temperature control.
Investment and Maintenance Budget: Initial investment vs. long-term maintenance costs.
Usage Cycle and Flexibility: Short-term variability vs long-term stability.
Energy Efficiency Targets: Individual unit efficiency vs. overall system energy efficiency.
l For small-area, scattered, short-term, or budget-constrained scenarios→prioritize cabinet type air conditioning unit.
l Large-scale, centralized, long-term operation scenarios with a strong emphasis on energy efficiency management→Chiller systems are more suitable.
l Complex and diverse scenarios→The advantages of both can be combined to achieve the optimal balance through a combined approach.
Ruidong Group's cabinet type air conditioning unit, with their stable performance and flexible adaptability, not only meet the temperature control needs of general scenarios but also precisely match the stringent requirements of professional fields. The chiller systems, characterized by high energy efficiency, long-distance delivery, and centralized management, are ideal for large buildings and cluster applications. Ruidong Group is committed to providing users with efficient and reliable temperature control solutions.
