Performance Evaluation and Optimization of Chiller Systems: A Data-Driven Approach to Enhancing Energy Efficiency

Article Sidebar

PDF
Published: Jun 1, 2025
DOI: https://doi.org/10.24853/sintek.19.1.11-24

Main Article Content

Rupdin Marbun
National Institute of Science and Technology
Teddy Ardiansyah
National Institute of Science and Technology
Nofirman Nofirman
National Institute of Science and Technology

Abstract

Chiller systems account for a significant portion of energy consumption in industrial and commercial HVAC operations, often exceeding 50% of total power usage. However, inefficiencies such as elevated condenser pressure, inadequate heat transfer, and excessive compressor workload contribute to increased energy demand. This study presents a comprehensive performance evaluation of water-cooled centrifugal chiller systems based on 30 operational test scenarios. Key efficiency indicators—including Coefficient of Performance (COP), Specific Energy Consumption (SEC), and isentropic efficiency—were analyzed to identify performance gaps. The results revealed COP values ranging from 1.92 to 4.07, with an average between 2.8 and 3.2, indicating suboptimal performance relative to industry benchmarks (COP > 4). SEC values between 1.07 and 1.25 kW/ton further highlight opportunities for energy optimization. High condenser pressure (>7.5 barg) and negative subcooling (-4.1 K to 0 K) were identified as major contributors to inefficiency. The study emphasizes that optimizing water flow rates and maintaining proper heat exchanger conditions can significantly improve system performance. Unlike previous research relying on AI or IoT-based diagnostics, this work adopts a practical, data-driven approach, offering actionable insights for facility managers seeking to enhance energy efficiency and operational reliability.

Article Details

How to Cite
[1]
R. Marbun, T. Ardiansyah, and N. Nofirman, “Performance Evaluation and Optimization of Chiller Systems: A Data-Driven Approach to Enhancing Energy Efficiency”, sintek. jurnal. ilm. teknik. mesin, vol. 19, no. 1, pp. 11–24, Jun. 2025.
Issue
Vol. 19 No. 1 (2025): SINTEK JURNAL
Section
Articles
Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Creative Commons License

  • Articles published in SINTEK JURNAL are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International license. You are free to copy, transform, or redistribute articles for any lawful purpose in any medium, provided you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and SINTEK JURNAL, link to the license, indicate if changes were made, and redistribute any derivative work under the same license.
  • Copyright on articles is retained by the respective author(s), without restrictions. A non-exclusive license is granted to SINTEK JURNAL to publish the article and identify itself as its original publisher, along with the commercial right to include the article in a hardcopy issue for sale to libraries and individuals.

References

M. Nuriyadi and A. S. Margana, “Evaluasi dan optimasi efisiensi energi sistem chiller dengan proses descaling,” ROTOR Journal, vol. 12, no. 2, pp. 58–68, 2020, doi: 10.19184/rotor.v12i2.18742.

S. Wang and X. Li, “State of the art of new technologies applied to chillers, 42nd informatory note on refrigeration technologies,” IIR Refrigeration, 2021, doi: 10.18462/iif.NItec42.03.2021.

K. Mittal, J. P. Wilson, B. P. Baillie, S. Gupta, G. M. Bollas and P. B. Luh, "Supervisory Control for Resilient Chiller Plants Under Condenser Fouling," in IEEE Access, vol. 5, pp. 14028-14046, 2017, doi: 10.1109/ACCESS.2017.2726017.

Z. Wang et al., "Examining the impact of common faults on chiller performance through experimental investigation and parameter sensitivity analysis," Energy and Buildings, p. 114389, 2024, doi: 10.1016/j.enbuild.2024.114389.

M. Liu et al., "Dynamic performance analysis of a solar driving absorption chiller integrated with absorption thermal energy storage," Energy Conversion and Management, vol. 247, p. 114769, 2021, doi: 10.1016/j.enconman.2021.114769.

R. Effendi, A. R. Siswanto, M. Qadri, F. Hendra, and AY. Nasution, “Power optimisation of centrifugal pumps in a 4-storey building,” Jurnal Dinamis (Scientific Journal of Mechanical Engineering), vol. 13, no. 1, pp. 1–7, Jun. 2025, doi: 10.32734/dinamis.v13i1.18837.

T. Sathesh and Y. C. Shih, "Optimized deep learning-based prediction model for chiller performance prediction," Data & Knowledge Engineering, vol. 144, p. 102120, 2023, doi: 10.1016/j.datak.2022.102120.

M. B. Awan, K. Li, Z. Li, and Z. Ma, "A data-driven performance assessment strategy for centralized chiller systems using data mining techniques and domain knowledge," Journal of Building Engineering, vol. 41, p. 102751, 2021, doi: 10.1016/j.jobe.2021.102751.

H. Al Quabeh, R. Saab, and M. H. Ali, “Chilled water storage feasibility with district cooling chiller in tropical environment,” SDEWES Journal, 2020, doi: 10.13044/j.sdewes.d7.0259.

T. Yamamoto, H. Hayama, and T. Hayashi, “Formulation of coefficient of performance characteristics of water-cooled chillers and evaluation of composite COP for combined chillers,” Energies, vol. 13, no. 5, p. 1182, 2020, doi: 10.3390/en13051182

S. Wu, P. Yang, G. Chen, and Z. Wang, "Evaluating seasonal chiller performance using operational data," Applied Energy, vol. 377, p. 124377, 2025, doi: 10.1016/j.apenergy.2024.124377

Y. Chen, C. Yang, X. Pan, and D. Yan, "Design and operation optimization of multi-chiller plants based on energy performance simulation," Energy and Buildings, vol. 222, p. 110100, 2020, doi: 10.1016/j.enbuild.2020.110100

W. T. Ho and F. W. Yu, "Chiller system performance management with market basket analysis," Facilities, vol. 39, no. 9/10, pp. 667-687, 2021, doi: 10.1108/F-09-2020-0107

I. Hasanah and M. T. Hidayat, “Pengukuran Kinerja Dengan Pendekatan Value For Money Sebagai Perwujudan Good Governance (Studi Kasus Pada Dinas Sosial Surabaya Tahun 2017-2021)”, MSEJ, vol. 4, no. 3, pp. 2673–2693, May 2023, doi: 10.37385/msej.v4i3.1562.

A. S. Margana and R. Suhendar, “Analisis performa dan pemeliharaan chiller di gedung komersial,” Jurnal Teknik Mesin dan Industri, vol. 10, no. 1, pp. 55–62, 2021.

D. M. Destiartono and E. Purwanti, “Market power or efficiency? An empirical study on the Indonesian fertilizer industry,” Jurnal Ekonomi dan Bisnis, vol. 24, no. 2, pp. 104–118, 2021.

F. W. Yu and W. T. Ho, "Multivariate diagnosis analysis for chiller system for improving energy performance," J. Build. Eng., vol. 20, pp. 317-326, 2018.

E. Bellos and C. Tzivanidis, "Performance analysis and optimization of an absorption chiller driven by nanofluid based solar flat plate collector," J. Clean. Prod., vol. 174, pp. 256-272, 2018.

F. Oliveira and A. Ukil, "Comparative Performance Analysis of Induction and Synchronous Reluctance Motors in Chiller Systems for Energy Efficient Buildings," in IEEE Transactions on Industrial Informatics, vol. 15, no. 8, pp. 4384-4393, Aug. 2019, doi: 10.1109/TII.2018.2890270.

I. Suamir, M. Arsana, I. Subagia, I. Rasta, L. Midiani, and A. Wibolo, “Site investigation on water cooled chiller plant for energy conservation and environmental impact reduction of a large shopping mall,” AIP Conference Proceedings, 2019, doi: 10.1063/1.5138297.

G. L. David, J. I. Sodiki, and N. B., “Performance evaluation of a chiller plant in a bottling company,” IJRASET, vol. 11, no. 1, 2023, doi: 10.22214/ijraset.2023.48610.

P. M. F. Putri, A. Sunawar, and M. Subekti, “Analisis kinerja chiller di Gedung Senayan City,” JEVET, vol. 1, no. 1, pp. 85–93, 2020.

R. Safytri, A. S. Margana, and A. Sukamto, “Analisis perbandingan kinerja mesin pendingin sebelum dan sesudah maintenance di Transmart Buah Batu,” Indonesian Research Journal, vol. 11, no. 1, 2020, doi: 10.35313/irwns.v11i1.2031.

A. Alyakhni, L. Boulon, J. -M. Vinassa and O. Briat, "A Comprehensive Review on Energy Management Strategies for Electric Vehicles Considering Degradation Using Aging Models," in IEEE Access, vol. 9, pp. 143922-143940, 2021, doi: 10.1109/ACCESS.2021.3120563.