Are Absorption Chillers dying a slow death?

[NYG-56]

I was just curious to know if this has been happening everywhere or just here in Jersey. I just saw another hi pressure "D" machine ripped out and replaced with new VFD Centrifugal, an another Co-Gen plant that used to have Absorbers converted to utility electric and replaced them with VFD CVHF's. Don’t get me wrong I'm not sad about this at all, I much rather work on these nice new machines that are so much more reliable than the old absorbers, but is this just the hi-utility costs in Jersey or the fat rebates that the utility co's are giving out, or the slow exodus of all the manufacturing industry and large pharmaceutical co’s getting out of the state?

[mustardman]

I was just curious to know if this has been happening everywhere or just here in Jersey. I just saw another hi pressure "D" machine ripped out and replaced with new VFD Centrifugal, an another Co-Gen plant that used to have Absorbers converted to utility electric and replaced them with VFD CVHF's. Don’t get me wrong I'm not sad about this at all, I much rather work on these nice new machines that are so much more reliable than the old absorbers, but is this just the hi-utility costs in Jersey or the fat rebates that the utility co's are giving out, or the slow exodus of all the manufacturing industry and large pharmaceutical co’s getting out of the state?

Much of the same here. Unless you have waste steam an Absorber is too expensive to run nowadays

[brianat49]

ah, the old absorbers. Can't say I have seen one in the state of Nebraska in the last ten years.

[Randy S.]

I think I can still smell the octyl alcohol in the van on a warm day.

We took out the last two 16JBs in 2005. I did like the way they purged without messing up a good vacuum pump. Glad to be done with the steam box gaskets, though.

[cntrlvalchiller]

Still have a Carrier 16jb thats supposed to be changed out with turbocor Smart, Soon. Still have plenty of absorbers still in svc here in California though will be working on some Broads next week.

[DITAW]

we have a couple old ones still kicking and some new "broad" absorbers ... i don't service them personally i just get called in to weld on them, just last year we pulled out a spray header a 30 year old york, cleaned and replaced the nozzles and the year before we replaced the heat exchanger off the the side of it. (Don't know what it was for like i said i don't service them i just weld on em), I don't think we are planning on ruling them out though they are still getting installed here just not as much centrifugals.

[absrbrtek]

Oxford Vally Mall, I looked at that one. The heat exchanger didnt fix the problem, I told them that before Golxxxx put it in. I told em before they did it, it was the nozzles plugged up. I take it you work for HG?
we have a couple old ones still kicking and some new "broad" absorbers ... i don't service them personally i just get called in to weld on them, just last year we pulled out a spray header a 30 year old york, cleaned and replaced the nozzles and the year before we replaced the heat exchanger off the the side of it. (Don't know what it was for like i said i don't service them i just weld on em), I don't think we are planning on ruling them out though they are still getting installed here just not as much centrifugals.

[heavymetaldad]

Plenty of steam fired left here. The company I toil for has ripped out at least 9 direct fired.
3 were replaced by 3 banks of multi stack lookalike recips. 1 was replaced by 5 multistack lookalike screws. 2 were replaced by 2 23xl's. 3 19xrv's replaced 3.

[chiller-thriller]

Just removed solution from our last Trane B2D-4, last fall. The economizer heat exchanger tubes were plugged, customer put in d/x coils and air cooled condensers. There are still a couple at a mill in nw Ontario, circa 1994ish, cooling Lake Superior to 42*, you can imagine how much service they see.

[doubleduece]

Last summer we took out a 300 ton Trane absorber and installed a Mcquay WMC. You talk about saving money!!!!!! Well it cut the gas almost 80 percent, and the electric bill only went up 10 percent

[duke of earl]

I have one under contract (indirect fired) that is still chuggin' along but to answer your question, YES they are going away and not fast enough! I hate em'.

[maxster]

in Manhattan it is the mechanics that are disappearing :callpro:the units are installed on the idea you don't need a 94 engineer as stationary with no freon being used,and the door man for the building can start them up....

[DITAW]

Oxford Vally Mall, I looked at that one. The heat exchanger didnt fix the problem, I told them that before Golxxxx put it in. I told em before they did it, it was the nozzles plugged up. I take it you work for HG?

Yep... But i m not a absorber mechanic, I do know that the heat exchanger was clogged cause we cut it in to see how bad it was and the spray nozzles were real bad to ... i just heard now that the refrigerant spray nozzles are probably blocked. you know anyone over here at HG.

[chilliwilly]

I've heard from a colleague who worked on a shopping mall out in Spain recently. That they have installed a new absorber type chiller to cool a secondary system that uses glycol to supplement the air conditioning and the super market fridges and freezers. They use a heat source from a solar panel array in turn supplemented by gas heating.

[HvAckid82]

when it comes to the big boy absorbers the only ones I see while servicing other equipment are for hospitals. But now Robur is gaining momentum but they are little compared to lithium bromide equipment. Local utilities offer incentives and during the summer time gas is about 30% less . Neat stuff

[absrbrtek]

No, I dont know anyone at Goldner except Kevin Shearin the salesman. I worked with him many years ago at DVY. Im with EL now. Been here for 3 years and love it. Ill retire out here.
Yep... But i m not a absorber mechanic, I do know that the heat exchanger was clogged cause we cut it in to see how bad it was and the spray nozzles were real bad to ... i just heard now that the refrigerant spray nozzles are probably blocked. you know anyone over here at HG.

[Randy S.]

Spend your Obamabucks on this:


http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080714151427.htm

[tombeaux]

While in the USAF( way back when) ,We had about a dozen 800 ton capactiy lith-bro absorbers on this one base and people , I personally loved them .

[HvAckid82]

absrb. Ever work at St Joes Villa? I saw EL working there before and we did some piping a short time ago.

[absrbrtek]

Ive never been there.
absrb. Ever work at St Joes Villa? I saw EL working there before and we did some piping a short time ago.

[bobby m]

Just as they apeared to be gone they'll be coming back
http://www.cmu.edu/iwess/components/solar_thermal_system/Equipment/index.html

[flange]

there is a little bit of a push in south jersey to put absorbers back in some locations such as schools, especially near the shore. as you may have figured the gas company is offering incentives to do so. there are a few newer ones in already, with more on the way.

[ernied]

University here in BC still has 4 300+ton absorbers. Only one of them uses waste steam. As long as they keep a good vacuum these guys run forever.
But we have no plans of getting rid of them, yet :)

[M100 Tech]

At $1500 for a condensate float ball for an ABTF, I am not surprised! We no longer make them!

[acjourneyman]

I only know of 2 of them in the entire state here.

[timmy2734]

Plenty of them in nyc

[heavymetaldad]

Many single stage are still here. All the double effect that I know of were scrapped.

[heavymetaldad]

oops, I already said that.........

[zsmillie]

I still have 5 16JBs. I'd love to get some more training on them but can't seem to find anyone who does it on this model. Carrier doesn't offer it. Anyone know?