| Vessel type | 5000 GT motor yacht |
|---|---|
| Chiller configuration | Turbocor (oil-free magnetic bearing) |
| Refrigerant circuit layout | 6 circuits total |
| Seawater pump control | Pressure-ratio based modulation |
The chiller plant of a large motor yacht showed persistent instability despite repeated software interventions by the original equipment supplier. All chiller circuits were operating at unnecessarily high condensing temperatures, leaving significant heat exchange capacity in the condenser unused. In addition, both chillers were running independently instead of in a coordinated configuration, causing inefficient parallel operation, frequent compressor starts, and unstable load distribution.
The fingerprint surfaces issues that show up nowhere else, not in the BMS, not in vendor diagnostics, not in scheduled service.
All circuits showed elevated condensing temperatures relative to seawater inlet temperature. The condenser had unused heat exchange capacity due to conservative pump control settings. After optimising the seawater pump pressure range, condenser efficiency improved from 66% to 81%.
Both chillers were operating independently in the same control mode, running all compressors simultaneously regardless of actual demand. After reconfiguring to coordinated staged control based on secondary water flow, compressor cycling reduced significantly and load distribution stabilised.
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