Low ΔT Syndrome Phenomenon in Chilled Water Systems

Delta T syndrome has been experienced in the operation of District Cooling Plants in partial load
and Full Load. We will discuss the low delta syndrome in the two piping configurations: Chilled
Water Constant flow with 3 Way valve at cooling coil and Chilled Water Primary secondary
system.

Initially chilled water was delivered through a simple direct-primary, constant flow pumping
scheme. This method delivers chilled water to the end user at a constant flow rate that is
independent of the actual load. A Three-way valve at building coils are used to allow some of the
water to bypass the coil during part load conditions. This varies the plant output to match load by
varying the chilled water return temperature from the buildings. This method of control has
a significant waste of energy and loss of performance:

Bypassed chilled water mixes with return water from the cooling coil yielding lower chilled water
return temperature to the plant. This lower return water temperature reduces the temperature
differential (ΔT) across the chillers and decreases the overall performance and efficiency of the
entire system. This phenomenon is known as low ΔT syndrome in Constant Primary System with
3 way valves at Coils.

For the Primary-Secondary System which has a Constant flow for the primary Circuit (Constant
flow primary pumps) and the Variable Flow for the Secondary Circuit (Secondary Pumps with
VFD Variable Frequency Drive), The low delta T syndrome will be experienced whenever the
Secondary Flow is larger than the Primary Flow and while the secondary flow is not properly
controlled via VFD secondary pumps to match the actual demand or actual load (The ramping
down of the secondary pump(s) is not well controlled via the
PDT Pressure Differential Transmitter). The water return at the De-coupler will mix with the chilled
water supply giving a high supply temperature (Causing an opposite flow at the De-coupler). The
buildings being served will sense a high chilled water supply temperature compared to the
Designed Ts. The delta T of the whole system falls below the designed delta T. The result is that
flow and load do not track, usually requiring that additional chillers be brought on line to maintain
flow requirements even though none of the chillers is fully loaded. Both pump energy and chiller
energy increase accordingly.

I have experienced the low delta syndrome in so many occasions (At Partial Load) where I was
handling the operation of the New Doha International Airport Cooling plants. The operation was
manual at that time with no control from the BMS. Even after Auto-Mode Operation of the plants,
the low delta T syndrome has been experienced occasionally. Ramping down the secondary
pumps VFD to a value where the Supply Temperature to the secondary network reaches the
designed value. The Solution was always convenient and satisfactory.

Another reason of Low Delta Syndrome in Primary/Secondary System (At Full Load) is that the
designed delta T of the Secondary Circuit is less than the design Delta T of the Primary Circuit.
Therefore, Design Secondary Flow is larger than the Design Primary Flow and mixing is always
happening at the Decoupler. In some projects, designer of the District Cooling plant is not always
the same designer of the Secondary System and each design would have different design
temperature parameters. Again, the solution is quiet simple, ramping down the VFD of the
Secondary Pumps to the flow Value that matches the Primary Flow.

In almost every real chiller plant, delta-T falls well short of design levels, particularly at low loads.
The result is higher pump and chiller energy usage.