The Emergency
At 2:00 AM, we received a distress call from a pharmaceutical chemical plant in Makarpura GIDC. Their primary 50-ton water-cooled chiller had tripped on high pressure, halting a critical cooling jacket process.
If the temperature of the reactor was not stabilized within 4 hours, they risked losing ₹15 Lakhs worth of chemical batch.
Diagnostics
Our heavy industrial squad arrived on-site within 45 minutes.
- Thermal Imaging: Scans showed extreme hotspots on the compressor head.
- Pressure Tests: Discharge pressure was abnormally high, while suction was dropping.
- Water Flow Analysis: The condenser water pump was working, but the delta-T (temperature difference) across the condenser barrel was negligible.
Conclusion: The condenser tubes were heavily scaled with calcium deposits, severely restricting heat exchange and causing the compressor to overheat and trip on HP (High Pressure).
The Engineering Fix
- Chemical Descaling: We isolated the condenser barrel and initiated a rapid, aggressive descaling process using industrial-grade, non-corrosive descalants.
- Flushing: Flushed the system with neutralizing agents to prevent tube pitting.
- Calibration: Re-calibrated the expansion valve to account for the restored heat exchange efficiency.
Result
The chiller was brought back online at 4:30 AM. Condensing pressures dropped back to factory specifications, and the chemical reactor was stabilized saving the batch. The client immediately signed a 3-year AMC (Annual Maintenance Contract) with Atlas Aircon.